“ Tom was such an amazing human being. We often had the most interesting conversations. He spoke about his various adventures with such passion but was never a show off. I recall a time he spoke about travelling to accept an honorary doctorate and showed me his acceptance speech. I was bowled over by his achievements. I could have listened for hours. There were funny tales that he expanded on which he didn’t include on the day but was happy to share with us in the office. He had me in stitches. He loved everything he did, had a great memory and treated us all as equals.
We shared a common interest in our love for dogs, especially greyhounds and we often turned the camera towards our pets during Teams calls. He’d send me snippets from greyhound articles and pictures from a well known greyhound artist. I recall he had attached a GPS tracker to ‘Tiny Tim’s’ collar and showed me how many miles the dog ran round in circles on his farm.
I regret not messaging him when I thought about him not long ago. Tom’s passing brings it home that tomorrow is not a promise.
Rest in peace Dr Tom Shannon. ”