If you knew Tom from his public persona at the Developer's Conferences, Mac Developer Kitchens and so forth, then you knew what he was like outside of the spotlight. What you saw was what you got with Tom. He was ever passionate, always outspoken, and even if you ended up on the wrong side of an argument with him, you had to respect his commitment to "doing the right thing." He was a genuinely nice guy who loved doing great things and was very good at it.

I'm grateful for the time spent working with Tom during the old Print Shop days. He was a great guy to work with; brilliant, fun, energetic, wide-eyed... and he taught me a lot. I have fond memories of him that can still make me laugh today, although a bit softer, through the sadness.

Such a loss for Apple and the rest of us who were lucky enough to know him.