Tom Walter Fermazin Obituary

Tom Walter Fermazin was born on January 23, 1948, to Bill and Dorothy Fermazin of St. Charles, Il.. He grew up on a picturesque gentleman's farm overlooking Lilly Lake outside of Wasco, Il. His insatiable curiosity and thirst for answers drove his desire for adventure. In 1967, Tom married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Ann Lowe. Tom started working with his father-in-law, Robert Lowe in the construction industry.

He was a quick learner and continued to utilize his building and craft skills throughout his adult life. Tom and Pat welcomed their first daughter Tabitha as he ascended the ranks of management at AT&T. They welcomed their second daughter, Melissa, in 1970. Corporate America never held much interest for Tom. He'd always had a side hustle up his sleeve. Tom started a furniture dipping business in the garage, flipped houses before it was a thing, and tried his hand at being a landlord. In the back to the land ideals of the hippy-filled 70's, Tom and Pat moved their family to Sycamore, Il.

Restored an 1830's stagecoach stop and joined the local historical society. Tom also ran for local office for the Township Board. Tom's charisma allowed him to sell silos, seed corn, office equipment, and his gentle ideals of the world around him. His talent for creating blossomed into a furniture and cabinetry business called Poultry Pass which Pat designed and Tom built. His love of words and creative storytelling led him to dabble in writing which landed him a technical writing position in the burgeoning information technology field.

The 90's brought an exciting move to the Bay Area. Tom's prowess with words and keen grasp of the humanity behind the technical field eventually allowed him to strike out on his own as a sought-after technical writer. Tom made the crossover to creative writing around this time. He published two novels under the clever pen name of F. Walter Thomas. At the time of his death, he had two more books in draft. His published works 'Senses' and 'Nonsense' evolved around a character who slowly loses his senses through a progressive disease but whose mind remains sharp and intact.

This character took form as Tom was diagnosed with Parkinson's; a byproduct of the chemicals used in his furniture dipping business. The sequel to 'Senses' reverses the damages of disease and the character is restored whole. Tom died from complications related to Parkinson's at home with his family surrounding him. He was at peace and ready for his next adventure. He will be missed by everyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting such a gentle and infectiously positive man. In lieu of services or flowers, the family suggests buying his books on Amazon.