Thomas Joseph LARKIN

LARKIN, Thomas Joseph Jr. "Tom" Of Bedford, Massachusetts, passed away on January 21, 2026, at the age of 89 years old, at the Carlton-Willard retirement facility in Bedford. Tom was a dedicated public servant, a fierce advocate for individuals with special needs, and a strong supporter of those suffering from addictions.

Born on July 23, 1936, to parents, Audna and Thomas Larkin, he graduated from Cambridge High and Latin School, received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Salem State College, his master's degree in special education from Boston State College, and graduated from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was also an Army veteran, an Infantry Sergeant in the 3rd Armored Division.

Tom was a school psychologist in the Boston Public Schools for 31 years. He served as Middlesex County Commissioner in the 1980s and as Register of Probate in the 1990s. He was a member of the Bedford School Committee. He was a delegate for Barack Obama in 2012 and for Joseph Biden in 2020. Most recently, he was the President of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, a non-partisan organization against the predatory gambling industry in MA.

Tom worked tirelessly on behalf of individuals with disabilities and special needs. He was a member of the Massachusetts Disability Council and PALS (Personal Advocacy and Lifetime Support).

Tom was a licensed psychologist who specialized in addiction. He served as a psychologist at the Middlesex County House of Corrections for over 16 years. He also served as a SMART Recovery facilitator (Self-Management and Recovery Training).

Tom was a devoted husband to Anne Scordino Larkin for over 61 years; father to his three sons, John, James, and William; brother to Anna Catherine Brigida, Joanne Bradley-Nelligan, Thelma Goldberg, and Kenneth Larkin; and loving uncle to many nieces, nephews, and grandnephews.

A Service Celebrating Tom's Life will be held on Saturday, January 31, at 2 pm, at the Carlton-Willard Retirement Facility, 100 Old Billerica Road, in Bedford, MA, in the auditorium. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Till, Inc., a not-for-profit human service agency that provides independent living and learning options for individuals with special needs. www.tillinc.org