Thomas Harvey "Tom" Bottini

1943 - 2024

Bottini, Thomas "Tom" Harvey

81, of Webster Groves, Missouri passed away unexpectedly on October 1, 2024, doing what he loved best - traveling the world with his wife of 53 years, Cindy.

Born January 14, 1943, to Frank F. Bottini and Coletta Harvey Bottini, he spent his youth alongside siblings Margaret, Francis, Greg, and Mary roaming The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri as a good-and maybe sometimes not so good-little grandson of northern Italian immigrants. He was a proud graduate of Holy Innocents and Bishop DuBourg High School, and a former bus boy at Bartolino's restaurant.

He attended Saint Louis University where he studied Mathematics and Philosophy, led his class as Student Body President in his senior year, and served in the Air Force ROTC. After studying meteorology at the University of Utah, his Air Force service took him from the cigarette-stenched bunkers of Offutt Air Force Base outside Omaha to the oppressive humidity of Guam, where his weather forecasting training was put to use guiding aircraft in the Vietnam War.

Next came a career in law. He earned a spot at the University of Virginia School of Law, where in addition to a fine education, he acquired a cadre of lifelong friends and met the love of his life. After the two were wed in Cindy's hometown of Yankton, South Dakota, they set off for London, where Tom earned his LLM degree at the University of London.

International law became his professional passion, and after positions with Monsanto and McDonnell Douglas, he spent the majority of his career with the St. Louis law firm Armstrong Teasdale. There he helped develop the firm's international footprint, particularly in Asia, where he acquired one of the first licenses for a U.S. law firm to practice in China. As a capstone to this endeavor, he and Cindy settled in Shanghai for two years beginning in 2012, so Tom could lead the office there. He would also cultivate friendships with attorneys through his involvement and leadership in Lex Mundi, a world-wide network of law firms. His international ventures were truly myriad, such as a stint as Honorary Consul to Nicaragua appointed by former President Enrique Bolanos.

Proud of his professional achievements, Tom was not one to dwell on them. Lessons learned were meant to be lessons shared, and Tom relished the chance to mentor young attorneys, family members, and fellow travelers alike. He leaves behind a legacy of attorneys in Europe and Asia who came to Missouri to spend time learning law, ethics, and business acumen from Tom (and instruction in the intricacies of American Thanksgiving traditions from his children). He also spent time teaching international business and law at Webster University, Saint Louis University, and Washington University in St. Louis.

His curiosity was wide-ranging, and this led to an assortment of hobbies. His home office overflowed with, among other things, the binders of his stamp collection, a clutter of weather-monitoring devices, and countless ziplock bags stuffed with pheasant feathers from years worth of hunts in South Dakota. His prized pastime was tending the Japanese garden that bloomed in his backyard under his dutiful care. His botanical creation was complete with stone pagodas, finely pruned Japanese maples, meticulously raked rock gardens, a yin-yang-shaped pond, and a grove of bamboo that was quite possibly Webster's largest-and most invasive (our apologies to his neighbors). He was an unforgettable conversationalist, a man deeply dedicated to all of his family, and a truly unique human.

Tom is survived by his wife Cindy and dog Barney; children Colette (Eben) Peck, John (Sarah) Bottini, and Alex (Ryan Cornelius) Bottini; grandchildren James (14), Henry (12), and Charles (10) Bottini, and Lucy (13) and Stuart (11) Peck; brother, Francis, and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Coletta Bottini, parents-in-law John and Darlene Cimpl, sisters Mary Menner and Margaret Wessling, and brother Gregory Bottini.

Services: Visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Bopp Chapel on Friday, October 11. Services will be held at the Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Webster Groves at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 12. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Webster-Rock Hill Ministries (wrhm.org) or the International Institute of St. Louis (iistl.org).