I first met Tom in 1979 when the female singer I was trying to make a band with and I were auditioning people for bass and drums. In came Tom, with his long pony-tail and traditional "hippie" garb. We played some songs together and he definitely had talent, but the singer I was working with didn't want anyone as secure in his own singing as Tom to take the spotlight away from her. Things like that would never let Tom lose sight that he had contributions to make, and whenever we met after that he always remembered me and treated me as a friend. Things occured to strengthen our friendship, usuall based around work opportunities. Some time after that he called me to encourage me to get back in "good standing" with the Msician's Union, which I did, and we were chatting how he was looking for a job and I told him about my driving school bus and that he could qualify easily. He started working for AAPS and was a good bus driver, except for the fact he would stand firm against management when they would make irrational rules, decisions or such. He stayed until he decided to go back to school and get into law. We stayed in touch while we both lived our lives and I knew him to be a bright, creative musical force. I contacted him when it appeared that I was going to have an opportunity to co-write a song to be presented for consideration to a major artist. I needed another player and vocalist so when I asked Tom he was immediately enthusiastic and injected energy, skills and equipment into the venture for the month or so it took. It turned out to be a scam that was being perpretrated on me but Tom never held it against me. He was still looking at it like the growing opportunity it was and was humorous about the education we had received. After that, whenever Tom would call for anything I always did what I could to accomodate him. I knew that anything Tom wanted to do musically would be an education. That education came in many forms, from learning new material I never played before, to dealing with musicians I wouldn't have necessairly wanted to play with. Tom was always steadfast in his mission, creative, fun and full of more information than he could share in any one setting. When Tom became a lawyer, it was immediately apparant to me that Law was in for some new blood. Tom approached law with the same creativity that he had with music, finding little details and niches that nobody else would ever consider. Although I am not a lawyer, he would talk about concepts he was thinking of and fighting for. He had a three-dinensional view of law, each diminsion having it's own place, and if you were the one being represented by him, your dimension was the one that counted. I am devastated by the loss of Tom, not only for the loss of the opportunity to play music with him again, but for the loss to us ALL, in the sense of what he could have accomplished in the legal system. His zeal for reform, for fighting for the little guy that had no other hope or resource, for Immigrantion Law, and for the overall justice of our country. We have all lost a Kinght of Good Hope, a soldier that will stand against tyranny, on faith alone. And finally, a word about his love for Grace. Every time I would have time to talk, he would always include that latest news about his dear daughter, Grace. From recording Christmas songs with her as a child to her accomplishments in school, Tom was steadfast in his love and hope for his Grace. No matter what I may say, it will never be enough to describe Tom Silvia. I have a theory that whenever one of us gets to be too close to perfection, God steps in and takes that person back: They have no way to grow more. Tom may have not been perfect, but he didn't have far to go.