Page 12 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Spring 2021 - Online Magazine

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Tom Stewart
Tribute to Papa Tom
hen I was first
approached by Amarillo
WSenior Link magazine
about writing an article on how
a senior citizen has impacted
my life, I was stumped; it wasn’t
something I had considered.
However, I soon realized that
my grandpa, “Papa Tom,” has
12 Amarillo Senior Link
Senior
Senior
by Jacob Stewart
influenced my life in multiple
ways, as a role model and a
support.
I don’t get to spend a lot of
time with him since he lives in
Houston, but when I visit, I’m
amazed at how popular he is with
everyone. He is well-known in
his community; when
we go to restaurants,
it seems like everyone
knows him. Last year,
we went to a restaurant
together, and people just
kept coming up to him,
saying hello, and talking
to him. I was thinking
during that time, “How
many people does this
guy know?” It showed
me how kind he must be
to others.
Papa Tom has influenced my life
by inspiring me in other ways also.
He is a very hard worker. From
being in the Navy to still working
for State Farm at 79 years old
(retirement isn’t an option!), he’s
been working his entire life for
our family. He has taught me to
work my hardest, both inside and
outside of school. He has taught
me to do “whatever it takes” to be
the best I can be.
Not only has he been a hard
worker, but he has also been really
supportive of me. It’s hard to be
old and travel a long way to watch
me play football, so he managed it
by watching many of my football
games streamed online and even
coming to watch my first playoff
game in Fort Worth. Even if he
couldn’t always stream the games,
he would text me afterwards
asking how I did.
Papa Tom has mostly impacted
my life by being generous,
with me and all my family.
Every Christmas, he has family
gatherings at his house with my
dad’s side of the family. And I
mean everyone is invited! I don’t