Thomas Richard LaForge

1955 - 2016

Thomas Richard LaForge, of Carolina Shores, died surrounded by loving
family members Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, while in hospice care at a skilled
nursing facility in Charlotte. He was 60.

Born Oct. 13, 1955, Tom grew up in Westfield, Mass., and spent most
of his life in New England. After graduating from high school, he
attended community college and then enlisted in the Navy. He served on a
landing ship tank for the Atlantic Fleet. Afterward, he returned to
Westfield and worked for the Westfield Gas & Electric Department for 24
years. In 2006, Tom moved to Carolina Shores to help with end-of-life care
for his father, Robert LaForge; three years later, he returned to help
nurse his mother, Joan LaForge.

After his mother passed, Tom decided to make Carolina Shores his
permanent home. He loved so many things about the area. Among his favorite
activities were playing golf and mini-golf at the myriad local courses;
swimming and strolling on Sunset Beach; bowling with friends from Carolina
Shores; walking his dog, Sadie, through Vereen Gardens; eating burgers and
pie with his sisters at Indigo Farms; and taking his nieces and nephews for
ice cream at Back Porch Ice Cream Shoppe in Calabash.

Family members will forever remember Tom as a kind-hearted and generous
soul, with a uniquely creative mind and irresistible sense of humor. He
loved sports and, throughout his life, was a loyal fan of Notre Dame
football and Yankees baseball.

He will be greatly missed by his surviving sisters, Diane Butler of Gallup, N.M., Mary Mitchell of Harrisburg, Ann LaForge of New York Cityand Karen Johnson of Manchester, Conn., as well as his six nephews, four nieces, three brothers-in-law and beautiful dog, Sadie.

A prayer service and burial of his ashes will occur at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at St. Mary's Cemetery in Westfield.
Donations in Tom's name may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care,
Charlotte Region, 1420 E. Seventh St., Charlotte, NC 28204.