Thomas J. Ginivan

Tom was born on October 5th, 1958, in Queens, New York, to his parents Bernadette and James Ginivan. He has an older brother Richard Ginivan and they lived in New York for his entire life.

One cold winter night, he met his beloved wife, Carmelita S. Ginivan (Carmen), on a bus going to Boston. This led to what became a beautiful love story. Tom adopted Carmen’s daughter who lived in the Philippines, Leah, and became one of his own, his princess. They also had their youngest child, their son, Sean Ginivan and celebrated 40 years of marriage this past May 5th.

He worked for the United Nations for 39 years and retired in Arizona with Carmen in 2018. Tom lived a life of faith and was always kind-hearted. He never failed to put light in people’s lives and cure those of sadness. Every soul Tom met witnessed his unconditional love, his never ending strength, and his wit. He carried the world upon his shoulders and always put those he loved before himself even till the end of his life.

For the past three years, Tom battled cancer and he fought valiantly. Through this journey, he had the loving support of his wife, children, nurses, and friends. It was a difficult journey, but he never failed to continue to fight and always told them to not shy away from God.

Tom loved airplanes. It was one of his passions and dreams to be able to fly. He took lessons and took it upon himself to learn. He loved the classics and he would watch films like “James Bond,” “Star Trek," "Casablanca," “Forbidden Planet,” and the Frankenstein franchise. This was certainly something he and his son, Sean, bonded over. To know Tom was to hear him speak in-depth of any time period in history. He was surely a history buff who could teach you anything you needed to know about the world.

And boy did he adore his grandchildren, from making Turkish coffee in the early morning with Anthony to building legos and enjoying time with Jack. He even went on adventures like Little Italy and Staten Island ferry rides with Catalina and loved having those special conversations with Lucas on the phone. He devoted his life to making his grandchildren feel loved.

Tom also was a problem solver; he loved puzzles and legos. His dream was to build the Titanic lego set. He baked his famous chocolate cake and was a sweet tooth at heart. He always put on records of music ranging from the 40s-80s and loved Russian music. And he also loved to travel with Carmen. He went to places like Malta and Saint Petersburg and visited museums and Catholic churches.

He was preceded in death by his mother Bernadette Ginivan, his father James Ginivan, and other loved family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Carmen. His children and their spouses: Leah and Miguel Almeida(spouse), Sean Ginivan and Katie Ginivan(spouse.) His grandchildren: Catalina Almeida, Lucas Almeida, Anthony Almeida, and Jack Ginivan. His brother and sister-in law: Richard Ginivan and Mary Ann Manitta.

Tom’s family would like to thank all of their friends, family, and anyone who prayed for him. They would also like to thank Father McGuire, Father Daniel Cruz, and Father Menegay for supporting Tom and Carmen during his time of illness.

Family and friends are invited to attend Tom’s viewing and funeral mass on Thursday 5/30. The viewing begins at 9:30 a.m. followed by Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Parish located at 17111 W Bell Rd, Surprise, AZ 85374.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in their honor to your favorite cause, St. Jude for Children, or Human Trafficking.