Thomas Pierce Power

WILLIAMSBURG - Thomas Power, beloved owner of The Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, VA, dies at 81. Thomas Pierce Power died on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 in Bermuda. There are few of us who will have reached the heights achieved by Tom Power. Yes, he was a successful entrepreneur and business owner. Yes, he maintained the love and devotion of his wife of 56 years. Yes, he possessed the love and respect of his three children, six grand-children, and arguably the entire town of Williamsburg, Virginia. But what catapulted Tom to these soaring heights was his humility, humor, and his genuine love for people. All people. As a Catholic who had been educated by the Jesuits at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, he used to say to anyone of the cloth, "will you put in a good word with the Jesuits for me?" Tom knew your name, your spouse's name, and likely your children's names. If you caught his attention as you entered his fine restaurant in Williamsburg, Fat Canary, you felt like he'd been waiting for your arrival. You were welcomed, and you knew it. An always dignified southern gentleman, Tom possessed that magic charisma that made you love him. He had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. His slight southern draw was authoritarian, credible, full of love, charm, and friendship. Tom Power was born on October 7, 1935 in St. Louis, Mo. His parents, Edward Francis Power, and Alice Quirk Power were second generation Americans of Irish descent. Tom's family moved from the Midwest to Norfolk, VA when Tom was a boy. Tom was the youngest of four sons including Edward Jr, John, and James. The four Power boys were known for their "spirit" and if you happen to "disagree" with one, you found yourself at odds with all four of them. Tom attended Granby High School and then after college, he entered the military as a Marine. He followed his service with a brief stint in real estate and then a nine-year career in sales with National Cash Register. But, as he stated on May 16, 2017, as he accepted the prestigious College of William and Mary Prentis Award, "the smartest thing I ever did in my life was to marry Mary Ellen Edwards". Mary Ellen or "Myrt" to those who are close to her, also grew up in Norfolk, VA but was a few years younger than Tom, so she didn't know him. One of her older brothers, however, did and introduced them. Married in 1961, Tom and Mary Ellen began their lives together in Norfolk, where they had their first daughter, Mary Ellen Jr and then moved their young family to Baltimore, MD where Cathy and Thomas Jr were born. As a salesman for NCR, Tom was introduced to many different small businesses and his natural entrepreneurial spirit was ignited. One particular business, a shop selling imported cheese, piqued Tom's curiosity. It wasn't long before he and Myrt began their initial plans to start their own wine and cheese shop someday. After planning and preparation, the young family moved back to Tidewater and eventually opened their own wine and cheese shop. Although many, who they initially confided in, advised them that Newport News was not Europe, and was no place to specialize in artisan cheeses and fine wines. They followed their hearts and opened The Cheese Shop of Virginia in the Warwick Shopping Center in Newport News in 1971. The work was hard and the customers were few. But it was the hospitality that Tom and Myrt exhibited to everyone who walked in that sustained their business in those first few years. In 1973, they had the good fortune to open their second Cheese Shop, this time in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. The 600 square-foot shop on Prince George Street soon became a staple for William and Mary students, faculty, and locals for good cheese, wine, and perhaps even more than that, for delicious sandwiches. Their proprietary "house dressing" became one of the more famous secret recipes in the state of Virginia. The success of The Cheese Shop enabled Tom and Myrt to partner with Marcel Desaulniers and John Curtis to open The Trellis Restaurant in Merchant Square in 1980. The Trellis was the first New American dining restaurant in Virginia and won many awards over the years. Tom and Myrt sold their interest in The Trellis in 1994. In 2001, a 9000 square-foot retail space became available in Merchant Square. The Power family business, now including adult children Cathy, Mary Ellen Jr, and Tom Jr moved The Cheese Shop to this new cavernous location on Duke of Gloucester Street, in 2003. In addition to the famous "Cheese Shop", they opened Fat Canary restaurant, a regional American fine dining restaurant that would feature Tom Jr, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, as executive chef. Since opening, Fat Canary has been awarded Open Tables Top 100 Best Restaurants in America and AAA's Four Diamond every year since 2003. Tom loved reading, discussing current events, and politics. He loved to swim, ski, and ran in several half and full marathons. He was a life-long golfer (shooting his age at 78 years old), and maintained his physical fitness throughout his life. Along with his friend Tom Austin of Berret's Seafood Restaurant, Tom established the Williamsburg Farmer's Market on Duke of Gloucester Street in 2002. Bermuda was a special place for Tom, Myrt, and the entire Power family. Tom and Myrt had honeymooned there in 1961 and had visited the island many times over the years. Tom, an avid ocean swimmer, loved the blue waters of Bermuda. Tom is preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Edward Power Jr, and James Power. He leaves behind his wife Mary Ellen, his brother Jack, his children Mary Ellen Power Rogers (Mark), Cathy Power Pattisall (John), and Thomas Power Jr and his beloved and beautiful grandchildren, Cole, Payton, Johanna, Keely, Ryan, and Jackson. Tom Power's funeral mass will be held on Monday, July 3rd, at 11am at Saint Bede Catholic Church (3686 Ironbound Road). The family would appreciate acknowledgments of Tom's memory by contributing to one of these local organizations: Child Development Resources, Hospice House of Williamsburg, Williamsburg Community Foundation.