You may know our cousin, Tom Hartman. An Austin native, Tom moved back to Austin 20 some years ago. Since his return, he has been a “man around town” working at local stores, supporting local businesses, taking a genuine interest in downtown Austin. He also has been an avid Packer sports booster and supporter of other high school activities. Tom is a strong promoter of special events and celebrations held in Austin, a real ambassador for the city.

But, being the unselfish person that he is, he only thinks in terms of what opportunities Austin has provided for him. What you might not know is that, until our mother passed away last year, Tom spent hundreds, maybe thousands of hours helping and assisting her in so many ways. None of us live in Austin, so it was difficult to attend to her daily needs. There were countless trips to doctors, opticians, hearing aid providers, grocery shopping, drug stores, and the frequent personal visits just to talk. There were no complaints; Tom simply said, “It’s just family.” 

Tom is leaving Austin to join his son, daughter-in law and grandchildren in the Seattle area. When he has a chance, he also visits his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren in Tulsa.  Austin will be losing a great citizen, so if you see him before he leaves, wish him well.  We will miss him very much, but life changes, and this is an excellent change for him.  We can not thank him enough for the support and genuine caring that he has shown.  He is truly “family.”

The families of Dave, Doug, And Julie (Becker) Hartman