Thomas W Wissman

Tom Wissman, aka "The Big Kahuna" or "Huna", 73, of Largo, passed away on September 1st, 2019. He is survived by the love of his life and wife of 49 years, Laurie; daughter, the original "Little Kahuna", Jennifer Ferrazano; son-in-law, Jamie Ferrazano; grandson and junior "Little Kahuna", Tyler Ferrazano; sister, Marge Wissman, D.V.M (Bill Parsons), and cousin Anne Meehan.

Born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut, Tom served in the U.S. Navy, and was later a mechanical engineer at Bell Labs in New Jersey. In 1979 he moved his family to Largo, Florida, to join the Paradyne Corporation. Much to his surprise the job was not located in Key Largo like he thought, just regular (not the island paradise) Largo. That realization set the wheels in motion for 40 years of family vacations to the Keys. Many amazing summertime memories were made, and "Slugfest" was born as a result. After a few years of retirement, he rejoined the workforce as a financial planner with Primerica and an engineer at Conmed. You know he couldn't sit still, right?

It is hard to pin down the essence of Tom, as he was so many things to so many people. Husband, father, brother, father-in-law, grandfather, golf buddy, dive buddy, coworker and friend. He was responsible when necessary, but he really didn't take life too seriously. He had a zest for living, for having fun, being silly and playful, and for loving life in a big, joyful way.

Tom was:

A loving husband, a fiercely dedicated family man, and a wonderful friend to many.

A grown man who would run for the hills if there was any kind of bee or wasp in his vicinity, even if it meant hopping off his motorcycle at a stoplight, leaving his wife on the back to fend for herself.

A man who would relentlessly drag his family through the water behind the boat for hours on end, in order to get our limit of lobster. "Just 10 more minutes" was his motto.

A man who would drop anything to help a friend or family member in need, never ever complaining about it. He was generous, kind, and giving from his heart.

A man who absolutely loved music, especially live music. I don't think many of us will ever hear The Beach Boys, The Doors, or Jimmy Buffett without thinking of him fondly.

A man who would pray to the poker gods for just one royal flush, or 4 aces "with a kicker".'

A man who always loved a good prank, like scaring kids on Halloween with his scuba tank, starting an egg and flour fight, chasing his young daughter and friend around the house with a battery and speaker wire making them think he was going to shock them, or making his mother a hair sandwich. If he could get you to run, laugh, scream or lock yourself in a closet, he was smiling.

A man who loved to hate the game of golf and was known to chuck a club from time to time, but always came in the door with a smile on his face, talking about how many skins he won or lost.

A man who loved the water and all things surrounding it. Surfing, fishing, diving, boogie boarding with his grandson in Hawaii, or just simply watching the waves break at the famous surf spot, the Banzai Pipeline. The ocean filled his soul from a very young age, and was an integral part of his entire life.

A man who always brought his wife flowers during their 49 loving years of marriage, and usually delivered a bouquet to his daughter at the same time.

A man who loved to share, be it his fresh catch from spearfishing, his poker winnings, or his knowledge of how to fix pretty much anything with his engineering mind. Give the man a zip tie, PVC pipe and some RTV and watch him go.

A man who could not live without dogs, preferably long furry blondes (much to his wife's dismay).

A man who you could set your watch to saying "Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, mmmmmmmmmm", whenever he really enjoyed a good meal.

A man who loved to tell jokes and make people laugh. If you have heard Tom's Sam Kinison impression, you will never look at sand the same way again.

We are saddened by the loss of Tom, as he was the glue to our small but tightknit family. It's difficult to describe such an amazing person. If any of our thoughts conjure up a memory of your own, we encourage you to share your stories below. We know Tom would love reading them.

Tom, we are grateful for the time we had with you, and are better people for having you in our lives. We are going to miss you beyond words, but we know you are in a place where the waves are perfect, all the lobsters are keepers, and everyone calls you Huna. Enjoy your endless summer, until we meet again.