Thomas Paul Garner

Thomas P. Garner, 59, of Northwood, NH and Holmes Beach, FL, passed away suddenly at his NH home with his wife, Lynne, by his side.

Tom was born in Garrett County, MD to Kyung J. (Chin) Smith and the late Raymond Lee Garner.

He leaves his wife, Lynne M. Paul, his children, Ryan D. Garner of Buffalo, NY, Jordan T. Garner of Pittsfield, NH, Lauren E. Garner of Watertown, MA and the mother of his children, Karen E. Garner.

He also leaves his sister Jane K. Lindsey of Brookline, NH, and his stepfather George H. Smith of Nashua, NH.

He also leaves cousins, aunts, uncles, several nieces and nephews and a boatload of great friends.

Tom graduated with honors from the Boston College Carroll School of Management in 1986. Tom excelled at sales and marketing with his quick wit and outgoing personality. He enjoyed telling stories about his early days working for NCR Corporation doing field work. He shifted to the mortgage business starting out as a Loan Officer with H. F. Ahmanson & Company and later Great Western Financial. In 1992, Tom found a home at Norwest Mortgage Company (which morphed into Wells Fargo Home Mortgage) in Bedford, NH. Tom played a significant role in helping the company become the #1 lender in New Hampshire by 1993; a position it held for 16 amazing years. Tom quickly rose to the President's Club level being recognized for his personal mortgage production and his sales management. Tom became a sales leader within the company and in 2009 he was promoted to the top role of Regional Vice President for New England and Upstate New York.

In 2013, Tom moved on to Bank of America as a Market Integration Manager for New England. Tom oversaw the growth of the mortgage sales team and its assimilation with the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management group up until his retirement in 2017. Tom was a member of the board of directors at Southern New Hampshire Neighborworks from 2013 until present. Throughout his corporate life, Tom was known as being very gregarious, a great story-teller, a skilled salesman, and he could light up the room with his presence. He brought a sense of humor to everything he did. Tom loved to hold court, and his laughter rang throughout the halls. A master of people skills, Tom loved people which gave him the uncanny ability to befriend everyone he came in contact with. Tom was special in so many ways, he was one of a kind.

Tom, the self-titled 'retired gentleman of leisure', made the very most of his free time and copious talents, pursuing his hobbies and interests with gusto. He did not let a day pass without planning something wonderful to enjoy with others. He woke up happy every day, singing Christmas carols throughout the year. He enjoyed nothing more than donning his apron and creating sumptuous meals for one and all. Leaving the kitchen in disarray, he would smile and exclaim, "I cooked!!!!"

Springtime might find Tom visiting local gardens or nurseries to select whatever herbs or plants tickled his fancy; both to enrich the beauty of his surroundings and provide fresh flavors for the table. In summer, Tom often seemed to be in many places at once. On any given day, you might find him rolling up his sleeves to tackle an ambitious home improvement project, playing in league matches at Canterbury Woods Country Club, captaining the RV to an exciting weekend getaway, or hosting a festive gathering at the lake house. At the end of many busy summer days, you could expect to find Tom in the float boat at sunset, cocktail in hand, happy with the day's work and talking excitedly of what was to come tomorrow.

Tom was a modern renaissance man, seemingly equally comfortable whether dressed to impress at a classy restaurant or in dirty jeans hauling landscaping supplies and chicken feed to and fro in his pickup truck. He could answer (at length) just about any question on any topic. Money issue? There was no one better. Relationship issue? He may not tell you what you want to hear, but it's probably the right advice. World events? He likely had a persuasive argument for whichever stance he took. When there was no easy answer, he'd gladly engage you in a vigorous discussion, reasoning from all angles like Socrates, which would point you to the truth of the matter.

Tom wore many hats, far too many to list - but our deep love for him compels us to try: , husband, father, brother, son, uncle, friend, fisherman, golfer, traveler, gambler, reader, storyteller, entrepreneur, chicken farmer, Harley Davidson rider, history buff, problem solver, financial wizard, boat captain, music lover, guitar player, home repairman, home chef, business expert ... and many more.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao Tzu (ancient Chinese philosopher)

The same could be said about Tom. You never saw him in a hurry, yet everything was accomplished. He always seemed to be on the verge of saying something witty and funny. And even if the joke missed, his infectious laugh would get you anyways. His energy and enthusiasm were contagious. On an RV trip to Anna Maria Island, you could feel the excitement building as you got closer to the Florida border. By Orlando he'd be eagerly tapping you on the leg as he regaled you with his well-crafted plans for the next several days.

Once you met Tom, you would never forget him. He had a genuine love for people and and uncanny ability to quickly take the measure of a man and understand what made him tick. Tom had many friends in many places. He could (and did) endear himself to anyone, and people loved to be his friend. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him well.

A memorial luncheon will be held on Friday, December 1st at Nashua Country Club, 25 Fairway St., Nashua, NH. You are welcome at 10:30 a.m. and a short service will commence at 11am. Bring your memories of Tom to share during the luncheon.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Tom's memory to the family's favorite charities:

The Louise M. Latvis Educational Scholarship - NH Charitable Fund # 4564-1

NAICFM.org

The Nashua Emblem Club #170 - P.O. Box 113, Nashua, NH 03061