Tom Eckhoff - Tome - RIP

[derekcutler]

/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif After 10 years of sailing with Tom as his no 1, I shall miss him terribly, his love of sailing, the humour, and his extraordinary navigational expertise, but more importantly his friendship and the trust we developed over the years.
I can't imagain the loss Karen must be feeling right now, but our thoughts are with her
May Tom RIP

 

[iangrant]

what led to the gizmo development was the requirement for accuracy - before the electronic age tom was responsible for the navigation of the ship (by sextant) towing 1/2 mile lines, turning that lot had to be spot second and only with a sextant?

Admiration or what - he was a great sextant teacher

 

[Cutter]

Derek. Welcome aboard. Sorry you had to join in such sad circumstances. I know how much Tom meant to you but also how much you meant to him. 
Hope to see you soon. Do join us tomorrow if you can. Bw Richard

 

[iangrant]

Richard
Met up with Derek this eve and Plans (as much as tom hated them) are coming together for "the arrangements" (ug) final sort tomorow evening
See you then

Ian

 

[geoid96]

I was a work colleague and friend of Tom for many years and also sailed with him a few times. The Tom you knew and has been described in these posts is exactly the same Tom we so much enjoyed working with. His leisure pursuits merged seamlessly with his professional interests and he was an expert on everything from the use of the sextant to the design of integrated navigation systems.

We were absolutely stunned when we heard the news. Sure we will miss his technical expertise, but nothing compared to his humour, generosity and willingness to stick his neck out to get things done.

Our thoughts and sympathies are with Karen.

John

 

[kds]

Fair winds and calm seas to him
And condolances to those left behind.
Ken

 

[TiggerToo]

I've jsut read this, having missed it previously. I have not met TOME in person, but read his contributions here with interest. Someone please pass on all of these messages to his family. You are in our thoughts.

 

[JezP_EBB]

Although, as a long time member of his crew I have keenly followed the antics of Tom and his many friends on the scuttlebutt forum, like Derek (Tom’s no 1) this is the first time I’ve posted on this site, and is prompted once again by the dreadful circumstances surrounding the death of our friend and colleague.

I have to admit to still being in complete ‘bits’ about Tom’s recent demise, having gained false hope when only the other day we met to celebrate the completion of Phase One (the Gamma Knife surgery), and a toast to hopefully now only having to fight on one front. My heart goes out to Karen at what must be the most dreadful time of her life, but those who know her will recognise she is an exceptionally plucky girl, and will no doubt manage to some how weather the storm.

In the same vein, those of you who knew Tom would hopefully agree that what he would now expect from those he has left behind is to celebrate to the full our interaction with his own life. As you know, he always loved to share a good story, and laugh along with a good anecdote, preferably to the chink of a few charged glasses. So now is the time to remember him fondly in your stories for the A1, top ranking geezer he was.

Rest In Peace Skipper. I will always be proud to be able to count you as one of my friends.

 

[tcm]

very fair enough jez. I will certainly get up and get going BUT I can't help feeling that I am still in the great Pub of Life and Tom has had to leave too early, with me owing him a few pints! I think also jimi owed him a fiver...

 

[claymore]

I think Tom would want me to have the fiver. He always seemed rather taken with the way I so lavishly sponsor the Fleetwood Lifeboat. Let's face it, any fiver of Jimi's will never see the light of day so I'll take responsibility for the debt.

 

[jimi]

Acshully Tom owes me a pair of spectacles, I left mine on his boat and he discovered he could see better if he used them, so he kept them until he sat on 'em and broke 'em. So in your capacity as debt assumer can you I have your glasses?

 

[claymore]

OK - I'll send them with TNT - they should be safe enough.

 

[janeK]

Richard

Thank you for posting such sad news. I have only read through this thread about Toms illness and am deeply saddened by this devastating news.

My lasting memory will be of Tom heaving himself out of a lavender bush outside a certain hotel in Cherbourg, grinning all over his face, after having had a raucous night playing darts with some locals and turning up well heeled to the Scuttlebutt dinner, very much the worse for wear!!!
Bless you Tom, definitely the most honourable 'Bad boy'. You will be sadly missed
by many people with a variety of special memories, which will bring smiles to all.

My thoughts are with Karen at this very sad time

JaneK

 

[Vanilla]

I’ve been very moved by this thread although I never met Tom. But I could see he was one of the forum greats and obviously a really lovely guy too. Love to his family.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Welcome to the forum Jez, just a shame about the circumstances. You and Derek have written some lovely words, and I am sure Tom would be flattered by both of you.

Hope to see you soon, one way or another.

 

[PeteCooper]

I know that this has been posted before, but it helped me through two recent family deaths:

I am standing upon the foreshore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails in the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, "There! She's gone!" "Gone where?" "Gone from my sight, that's all." She is just as large in mast and spar and hull as ever she was when she left my side; just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of her destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at that moment when someone at my side says, "There! She's gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

 

[Sans Bateau]

Pete

I thought I'd got over the 'lump in the throat' stage and the tear in the corner of my eyes blurring my vision for a moment, lovely words.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I've been kind of expecting somebody to post this piece. There was a previous debate about who wrote it but there are at least two variations.

The last three funerals I have attended have all had it as a reading

- Mother
- ex-work mate
- a sailing mate.

Whilst I'm getting to hear or read it a little too frequently for comfort, I still love it.

 

[Blueboatman]

Christ,I haven't logged in here for days and now this awful news.

This is such a terrible waste.
I hadn't seen Tom for years and years but we used to hang out in the same boatyard,where his smiling git face,quick wit and irrepressible optimism when confronted with planning his wooden boat cruises were a constant and delightful tonic.
When offered a lift into Chichester once for a bit of a sesh in my dreadful rusty 2cv ,I will always remember his wry tactful observation 'I never knew there was a hill between Lavant and Chichester' -There isn't, of course..Toms way of telling me to buy a new car !
Such a sad loss .

 

[Twister_Ken]

Tom claimed to have been part of motley crew that once speared and sank a Spanish (or was it Portugee?) fishing boat, with an old gaff rigger.

Anybody have chapter & verse?