Thomas C. Wyckoff
Thomas ("Tom") Clinton Wyckoff. Age 55. Weston, Connecticut.
Tom passed away October 3rd, 2021, at his home in Weston, Connecticut.
Tom was born on July 5, 1966, in Elmira, New York and resided there with his three younger sisters until he left to attend Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut (class of 1988). He subsequently graduated second in his class from Albany Law school in 1991. Upon graduation from law school and after a cross-country motorcycle trip to San Francisco to visit his sister and her roommate – his future wife – Katherine (Kathy) Bishop, he began a very successful stint in Manhattan as a securities lawyer at the prestigious Wall Street law firm of Cahill Gordon & Reindel. In 1994, he married Kathy.
He left Cahill to become General Counsel and subsequently CEO of Artistic Greetings, a publicly traded company in his hometown of Elmira. While in Elmira, Kathy and Tom welcomed two children into the world – Morgan Elizabeth (1996) and Thomas Clinton Junior (1999). After selling the company in 2000, Tom "retired" to Manchester by the Sea, MA to be closer to his sisters, two of whom resided in Newburyport. There, his beloved son George Henry (2002) was born. Anyone who knew Tom, knew that he was an unrelenting workaholic. So, it was no surprise he was soon back at work taking on countless legal and management consulting roles. Those roles became the third chapter of his career over the next 20 years and brought his family to Connecticut in 2002. Along the way, he founded Wyckoff General Counsel, which offered outsourced General Counsel and other consulting services primarily to start-up companies. His passion for his work continued up until the last days of his life. He loved being a lawyer and when asked when he would retire, his response was, "lawyers don't retire".
Tom will be remembered for many things. He commanded any room he walked into with his quick wit and ability to make people laugh. He was stubborn in the best of ways – always fiercely supporting and encouraging those he loved. He loved speed, whether it be in the form of boats, motorcycles, cars, or planes. Rarely a month went by where he was not proposing a new experience; let's learn to drive race cars, go to the Caribbean, learn to fly. He loved one meal a day and preferred it be a rare steak. When you were his friend, you knew it. He deeply valued friendships from every period in his life. He was never without his dogs. Tom was famous at Albany Law for bringing one Golden Retriever - Chutney - to every class with him on the seat of his motorcycle. For 30 years he owned Golden Retrievers, until two years ago when Scout, a Bernese Mountain breed, joined Atticus in his life – their names an homage to his favorite book – To Kill a Mockingbird.
Tom's family was what was most important to him. He loved his children. One would be hard pressed to have a conversation with him that did not start with an update on the latest about the three of them. He was a loyal and proud father. He was religious about his weekly Saturday morning calls with his mother, Judy, who he cherished deeply. He can be remembered celebrating birthdays and the Fourth of July at Keuka Lake surrounded by many dear relatives, playing golf (poorly) with his brother in laws, and banging on the glass cheering at his sons' hockey games.
Tom is survived by his mother, Judith Komer, three sisters Elizabeth Sullivan, Jennifer Sullivan, and Catherine Murray and three children Morgan, Clint, and George, as well as countless relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his father, James Wyckoff and his stepfather, Stuart Komer.
A memorial service will be held for Tom at Salisbury Cemetery (27 Main Street, Salisbury, CT, 06068) on October 16th at 11:30 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Tom to an organization or cause of your choice.