Thomas Amos Hastings, 75, of Skinner Street in Claremont, died Friday evening, October 17, 2008 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in White River Junction, VT.

He was a native and life long resident of Claremont, NH, born on March 2, 1933.  He was a graduate of Stevens High School.

He grew up in a house on a hill in Mountain View Cemetery, brought up by his grandmother, Edith, and learned to drive an old ford truck in the cemetery (as his children and grandchildren did). His love of that space in Claremont never changed.  As a young man he played drums at the Polish Club with Al Godek’s band.

His love of music and photography preceded him.  He played drums as a child. He continued to play the drums in the Stevenaires’ school band, local parades, and as an adult, in the Dick Boyce Band, at area country clubs, dances and at Cyril’s Steak House in Claremont Junction.

Photography started as a hobby while he was in the Army stationed in France and Germany in 1954.  After his tour was over, he started working at the Coke Plant, the American Tire Company delivering tires, a tiny stint at Joy Manufacturing and then 27 years at Barnes, Rouillard & McPherson Ins. Co. as a maintenance person and all around manager of the property.

He was well known for his photo studio (Tom’s Photo) on Broad St. in Claremont.  He was also the official photographer for the Claremont Fire Department for several years.

For the past several years, you could see his hat, suspenders and uniform around town driving for Community Transportation Services (CTS) bus or trolley.

One of the highlights of his last couple of years was his trip to Disney World in 2007 with one of his daughters and two of his grandchildren.  He rode rides you couldn’t imagine, including the Segway, saw animals he had never seen, ran his butt off, (sometimes ahead of his grandchildren) ate, drank and stayed up late to party.  The morning splash in the pool with a cup of coffee was leisure at its’ best for Tom.

He was vibrant and healthy up to the end, always willing to help anyone that needed it without any questions or expecting anything in return. He enjoyed living in his home on Skinner St. with his wife of 13 years, Mona,  loved his garden and two cats,and  his new found love of karaoke and recently joining fellow musicians playing the drums again.

His last adventure was riding on the Ascutney Vermont Fire Truck, which his grandson, Nick, drove in the Fireman’s Parade.

He was predeceased by his wife Peggy (Picard) Hastings and granddaughter, Jessica Alicia Koloski.

He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Ramona “Mona” (Simpson) Jenkins Hastings of Claremont; two daughters, Mary M. (Hastings) Koloski of Claremont and Joyce A. (Hastings) St. Martin and her husband James J. of Simpsonville, SC; also a stepson Keith Bliss and his wife Carol of Claremont; four grandchildren, Nicholas J. Koloski of Claremont, Erin (St. Martin) Coles and her husband Robert of Elizabethton, TN, Melissa B. St. Martin of Greenville, SC and Samantha A. Woodall of Claremont also two great-grandchildren, Hannah J. Coles and Bryan R. Coles of Elizabethton, TN.

Friends may call at the Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad Street on Wednesday afternoon, October 22 from 2 to 4 PM.

Please join the family at 4 PM at Hullabaloo Restaurant, Pleasant Street to celebrated Tom’s life.