Thomas J. Hickey

Thomas J. Hickey lived a long and full life and was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, godfather and friend to many. Tom was determined to celebrate his 100th birthday which he did, surrounded by family.

Family and Faith

Tom was born August 10, 1925 to Margaret Cecilia and Frederick Hickey, the second youngest of nine children. He attended Holy Child of Jesus school and spent his childhood in Richmond Hill. At the age of 18 Tom enlisted in the Navy and proudly served his country during World Word II aboard the USS Vincennes.

Tom met Maureen Kane, the love of his life, when they were in grammar school. Maureen lived around the corner from the Hickey House in Richmond Hill. Tom and Maureen married in 1950 and moved to Franklin Square in 1951. They were extremely blessed throughout their lives and recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.

Tom was dedicated and loyal to his family, his faith and his passions. Tom and Maureen had seven children; they loved to travel, even with all the children. Summer vacations meant loading up the family station wagon, frequently meeting families from Frankln Square at resorts in the Catskills or surrounding states, while the winter activities with the kids included sleigh riding and ice skating.

Tom and Maureen joined St. Catherine of Sienna Parish when they moved to Franklin Square. Tom participated in the Parish for decades. He was an active member of the Holy Name Society for 27 years, including as president; he was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Parish Council. Tom served as a Lector and a Eucharistic Minister at Church, and also for the homebound and in the hospital. Tom was a joiner and an organizer, frequently taking charge of the St. Catherine's fund raisers and organizing family and Navy reunions. He loved family gatherings and enjoyed helping people and causes.

Work and Play

He was an avid New York Mets Fan from the moment the team was founded in 1962.. He went to games frequently, was the "Veteran of the Day" on one occasion, and has a named brick on the walkway at Citifield.

Tom worked for AT&T and New York Telephone for over 35 years in many positions. After retirement Tom and Maureen traveled extensively. Tom also pursued his love of golf. He and his many golfing pals had no problem getting an early tee time and traveling to various golf courses near and far. Tom especially enjoyed golfing with his children and grandchildren; he was a stickler for proper scoring (no mulligans!) .

Tom was proud to serve the USA during WW II and made many life-love friends through his Navy experience. He visited the WW II museum in New Orleans and is one of many WW II veterans whose experience is recorded in the museum archives. Tom always wore his Navy cap and loved when passersby thanked him for his service.

Tom is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his seven children and their spouses: Kathy (and Bob Cripps), Thomas, Jr, Susan (and Don Mateiko), Kevin (and Doreen), Margaret DeVita, Dan (and Debbie) and Maureen (and Vlad Horrego).

Tom loved his 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren; he delighted in seeing them and having many photos of them in his home. Tom will be greatly missed; he will also be missed by nieces and nephews (from both the Hickey and Kane families ) who were important parts of his life. They will all miss his quick wit and sense of humor.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org) or the Hudson Valley Honor Flight (hvhonorflight.com)