Thomas J. Nava

Thomas J. Nava, a Kingston musician and onetime guitar player for the infamous punk rocker GG Allin, died on July 3 at the age of 61 while in pursuit of an adventure - seeing a rodeo in Wyoming. Persistently optimistic and always up for a party, Tom planned the trip to the Cody Stampede Rodeo despite being on end-of-life care. He battled cancer off and on since 2007, and stopped treatment only after doctors convinced him it would no longer help.

Tommy was the baby of the family, born on July 19, 1963, to George R. Nava and Josephine Chandler Peterson Nava, and grew up on a quiet street in Kingston. Tom developed an early love of guitars and motorcycles from his brother Bobby. When Tom was in fourth grade, he broke his leg trying to rollerskate off the roof. Couch-bound for most of the school year, Bobby lent him a guitar and he learned to play.

When Tom's father gave him a choice between a pony and a mini-bike, Tom chose the mini-bike - his "ticket to freedom." After the mini-bike, it was a Honda XR 75 that Tom rode to his earliest guitar gigs as a teenager. After graduating from Silver Lake High School in 1981, he worked in the cranberry bogs or retail jobs and was part of the music scene by night.

Tom was briefly the guitarist for GG Allin, quitting after three chaotic and violent shows with "the rock and roll terrorist." In the early 90s, he almost got his big break as guitarist and vocalist for the band Mantis. As the story goes, they bribed a Boston DJ with "an eight-ball and a hooker" to put their song on the radio. Before they knew it, they were dubbed the number-one local band in Boston, signing a contract to tour with Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses, and hanging out with Ringo Starr. It went sideways and Mantis was replaced by Four Non Blondes on the 1993 "Get a Grip" tour.

The rest of Tom's music career was focused on local gigs, playing guitar in the rock bands Inside Straight, Small World, Spoiled Rotten, Rooster, Emerald City, and Full Circle. He loved the camaraderie and joy of making music with friends, without the complications and pressures of making it big. By day, he became a talented and versatile heavy equipment operator, joining the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 4 in 2000.

As Tom's music career evolved, so did his membership in motorcycle clubs, starting with the Hawgs in 1991 and then the Red Emeralds in 2009, where he was known as "TomAss." His bike of choice was a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy painted with flames and the club's name. Tom loved to party and he could have a great time wherever he was. Friends say he was one of the nicest guys they ever met - a good guy even when he was acting tough.

Tom met the love of his life Trish Mayer in 1990, and they were together for 32 years before Trish passed away from cancer in 2022. They built a beautiful home together on land passed down from Tom's Italian grandfather. Tom and Trish both loved to ride motorcycles, and they took a long-distance trip almost every year. When it came to animals, they were polar opposites: Tom loved them, Trish didn't. They compromised on outdoor animals - chickens and goats.

Tom had just finished his memoir, "Born to Be Wild: The History of Thomas (TomAss) Nava," when he passed away. The book will be released in August. He had planned to do a signing at a local Barnes and Noble.

Tom was preceded in death by his beloved wife Trish, his parents and his brothers, George and Bobby. He is survived by his children Herb Mayer and Jennifer (Trae) Minicucci, his grandchildren Glenn Mayer, Shae, Nick and Madison Minicucci, his sister Betty-Jo (Bruce) Rohr, his niece and nephew Rachel and David Rohr, and many friends. The Red Emeralds will host a celebration of Tom's life on August 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Hilltop Athletic Association Pavilion in Kingston.

Tom always had a voracious love of life, even when his treatment forced him to stop singing and playing guitar. He didn't make it to the rodeo, but he wasn't afraid to die trying. We will miss him.