RIP: Tomm David Twait, 49 - 8/15/1959 - 3/23/2009
Many of you who are from my extremely small home town of Leland Illinois would know the name and face instantly… Others might have heard me on radio performing a character on air of the same name… Well it is with great sadness to announce that the real Tomm Twait has passed away.
I honestly don’t know when I first came across Tomm for the first time, I guess during my 12 years in Leland IL he was just always there. Tomm was a fun guy and a great sport. He was almost always at every Leland school function, and was well known by the local community. Like most everyone in life, Tomm had some rough times and for some time was quite fond of the drink. That didn’t stop anyone from liking this guy. He was often picked on by local kids… I will admit that I’m even guilty of a prank call or two… But I often made the calls fun for him as well… As I mentioned, if you weren’t being cruel, he was a great sport.
I have a million stories I could tell about this guy, if fact if you ask me to tell you my top 3 memories of my time in Leland, I guarantee he would be part of one of the stories. And I still talk about the guy with several of my small town friends all the time to this day…
A little while back, I thought that I would share some of the joys I had in my youth that involved town with the world. So, I gave birth to a character by the name of “Tom Twait” on Chicago’s Fearless Radio on a show called “The Wolfs Den”. The character was made to be fun and funny… as Tomm had always been for us. But my character took on other qualities that we beyond the original Tomm, as he was known for living in a bathtub floating off the shore of the Chicago Lake front… Far from the small town original..lol But the character embodies a lot of he same spirit that the original did.
Two true life values I did use for the radio character compared to the “original” was his character building scratchy voice and his love for old style. I had visited Tomm’s house to actually hang out with him and a couple other friends back in my youth. And upon visiting found the largest collection of Old Style beer cans and memorabilia I have ever seen. I’m not talking about stuff like thrown everywhere, they had cans stacked up very neatly to the ceiling… It was like an Old Style museum, a sight I will never in my life forget. And with that in mind, my radio character was to always love the ladies and his old style beer as well.
Well I will close this post with a couple short comments and an attached obituary…
Tomm, you created a million memories for me in my youth and I will forever be grateful. I’m sure wherever you are, it is a better place. I wish you peace and comfort. Eventually I will be there to visit and drinks are on me my friend. So I ask that all of you readers join me in cracking open an Old Style and raising it high, and join me in a toast to Tomm Twait. Cheers my friend…
~ Willy Adkins
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ARTICLE:
LELAND —Tomm David Twait, 49, of Leland, passed away Monday, March 23, at Provena Mercy Center in Aurora.
He was born Aug. 15, 1959, in Sandwich, the son of Robert and Donna (Jacobson) Twait. He graduated from Leland High School with the class of 1977. He was a member of Leland United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his mother, Donna Twait of Leland; one sister, Tami (Rick) Agler of Chetek, Wis.; two brothers, Timm (Teresa) Twait of Cumberland, Wis., and Tedd Twait of Leland; one niece, Keri Twait; two nephews, Lance and Jacob Agler; two special aunts, Gail Matison and Arlene Monterastelli; and several special cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father; maternal grandparents, Fernan and Edna Jacobson; and paternal grandparents, Andrew and Kristofa Twait.
Funeral services will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Turner-Eighner Funeral Home in Somonauk with the Rev. David Rogula officiating. Private burial will be in Leland Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. until the time of services Wednesday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials maybe directed to a fund being established in his name. For more information or to sign the online guest book, go to www.TurnerBurkhartFH.com.
Turner-Eighner Funeral Home
13160 Rt. 34 W.,Somonauk, IL 60552
815-498-2363
www.TurnerBurkhartFH.com