Thomas L. Law

Tom Law was born in Washington, D.C., to Preston E. Law Sr. and Gertrude E. (Rowe) Law. As a youth, he studied at Corcoran Art School in D.C. and graduated in 1956 from Fairfax High School, Fairfax, Va. Tom was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving from 1956 to 1960 as an electrician's mate as well as a barber on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal. Following military service, he attended journeyman carpentry school and spent his lifelong career working as an architectural draftsman, carpenter, cabinet maker and home builder. Some of his work included construction on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as well as the Mormon Temple in Kensington, MD. He moved to Smithsburg, Md., in 1994 with his wife Sandra and their two children, where he was an active member of the Smithsburg Historical Society until his death. For several years, Tom was a contributing editor for Fine Homebuilding Magazine and made several workshop videos for Taunton Press. He was an antique tool collector and known nationally as the "Saw Man" for his tireless collecting and hand sharpening of old Americana hand saws. Tom was an expert Civil War re-enactor drummer who played in various fife and drum corps for 32 years. He handcrafted and sold custom built new drums and restored and repaired original Civil War drums. He competed for 36 years in Civil War musket team competitions with the North-South Skirmish Association as Commander of the 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment, CSA. Mr. Law is survived by his wife Sandra (Rohrback) Law; their two children, Allen T. Law and Anna L. Law; two children from a previous marriage to Patricia Ann (Gardner) Cupit, a son Dennis A. Law and a daughter Melissa A. Law, wife of Adam Judge. Mr. Law was preceded in death by a son, Gregory G. Law. Additionally, he is survived by a brother, Preston E. Law Jr. and wife Maida of Hagerstown; a sister, Elizabeth Jane Law Wiggins of Laurel, Md.; half brothers, Peter R. Law and David A. Law, both of Cape Canaveral, Fla., John H. Law and wife Lorraine and Roger W. Law, all of Camden, S.C.; stepmother, Mary Katherine "Kitty" Law of Camden, four grandchildren, Eliza L Charbonneau, Steven Judge, Katherine Judge and Erin Judge plus numerous beloved nieces and nephews.