Thomas Joseph Howe

1955 - 2021

Thomas Joseph Howe, age 65, died Friday, September 10, 2021 after suffering from cancer and other long-term illnesses. Tom was born September 17, 1955 to Alice (Howe) Lopes and Adolph Lopes. His father was estranged from them before his birth, and in his late 20's, he decided to adopt his mother's maiden name as his own surname. Tom lived almost his entire life in Hartford's Barry Square neighborhood. He graduated in 1969 from St. Augustine School, from Bulkeley High School in 1973, and from Hartford State Technical College in 1975. Tom displayed a mechanical aptitude from a very early age. Since he was a youngster, he constantly tinkered with and repaired machines, televisions and bicycles. By accident, at age 11, when he discovered that the suction from a vacuum cleaner could make the keys of a player piano at his aunt's house play, he researched the repair, ordered the tubing, re-tubed that piano, installed a motor from a vacuum cleaner and his cousins' family enjoyed music from that piano for 30 years. Tom worked at Veeder-Root in Hartford as a quality control technician. He later enjoyed refurbishing juke boxes and renting them to clients for private functions. Tom's cousins through his mother were as close as any siblings could be, and they were often together for family functions trips and vacations. In his mid-30's Tom was thrilled to discover that he had a brother and two sisters through his father's second marriage. Tom leaves his cousins, Mary Getman and her husband Stephen of Somersville, CT, Alice Petronio and her husband Lucien of Newington, Cynthia Sonski of Windsor, Alex Sonski and his wife Elenore of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, a brother Joseph Lopes of Lebanon, CT, two sisters, Deborah Senerth of Durham, North Carolina and Cheryl Larson of Jupiter, Florida; and numerous second cousins in Connecticut and in Ireland. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 180 Farmington Avenue, Hartford on Saturday (Sept. 25) from 10:00-11:00am followed immediately by burial in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. To send online condolences to the family, please visit www.ahernfuneralhome.com.