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Born in Plattsburgh on April 16, 1942, to Jack and Mary Ames McFadden, Tom grew up on Lorraine Street among neighborhood friends and family, where summers played “ball” until the dinner bell, and winters were careening down makeshift ski slopes to the banks of Lake Champlain. Tom attended St. John’s during these formative years and was a “Johnnie” through and through. He was a star athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. He sang in the choir and was an altar boy, the beginning of years of service to the Church.
In the fall of 1960, Tom attended Holy Cross in Worcester, MA., continuing to be a friend to many while–as he often recounted–praying to God for passing grades and to guide him successfully through the experience. “My knee prints are permanently embedded on a kneeler in the chapel’s first pew,” he would quip. In 1964, after graduation, Tom worked as a school counselor in Deep River, CT, until he was called home to help with the family furniture business.
In 1965, he married his best friend, Susan Miller. Their loving and devoted marriage would last for 57 years with a profound and ever-lasting effect on their five children and nine grandchildren. The family was everything to Tom, and he created so many memories for us: bike rides, camping trips to Cape Cod (rain or shine), sitting down as a family for Sunday dinner, and musicals at the Flynn Theater in Burlington.
Though working for the family business for over 50 years, furniture was not the more significant part of Tom’s life. He felt strongly about giving back to his community. He was the president of the Chamber of Commerce, served on the bank and school boards, and was on the St. John’s Parish Council. He was proud to be selected to lead the merger between St. John’s Academy and Mount Assumption Institute, forming Seton Catholic Central. He was a vocalist for Sunday mass and sang with the Peru-Keeseville Ecumenical Choir for over a decade.
Perhaps Tom’s most significant contribution was the impact and influence he had on the youth of our community. Whether it was through neighborhood pickup ball, coaching basketball, and football, hosting a team celebration at our South Prospect home, or working the St. John’s Festival, he made lasting impressions.
Tom cherished others and treated everyone with respect. He emphasized the importance of good character, honesty, and loyalty. He volunteered wherever possible, believing helping others was of the utmost importance. Tom was the epitome of family, friendship, and service; ideals he held close to his heart and ideals he is remembered for by many.
Tom is survived by his wife, Susan, and children: Mark of Williston, VT; Elizabeth (Steve) Dubay of Peru, NY; Stephen of Plattsburgh, NY; Dennis (Joanne) of Apex, NC; and Kathleen (Jonathan) Mast of Plattsburgh, NY; his grandchildren: Jack, Thomas, and Mark Dubay; Ryan, Kelsey, Emily, and Connor McFadden; and Megan and Caroline Mast; three sisters: Jann (Robert) Shambo; Nancy Monette, and Kathleen Kasprzak, all of Plattsburgh; his sister-in-law, Virginia (Lloyd) Mott of Queensbury, NY, and many nieces and nephews. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, his parents-in-law, Francis and Marion Miller, his brothers-in-law, Donald Kasprzak and Mitchell Monette, and his nephew, Jeffrey Mott.
Tom and his family are grateful for those who cared for his health and wellness over recent years, especially Meadowbrook Healthcare and the excellent staff of Chestnut Grove, whose dedication to their work and to their patients is honorable. Their unwavering patience, exemplary care, attention, and love for Tom were evident daily.
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, September 2, 2022, at 1 pm at St. John’s Church in Plattsburgh, NY, followed by a gathering at Rustic Pines at 63 Kelly Rd., Plattsburgh. Burial will be at the convenience of the family at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Thomas J. McFadden Scholarship at Seton Catholic Central, 206 New York Rd, Plattsburgh, NY, 12903, or online at https://www.setonknights.org/product...en-scholarship.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home.