Thomas (Tom) Christmas, 78, passed away peacefully on June 9th, 2021 with family by his side following a 10 months long battle with a glioblastoma brain tumor. Tom was born in Philadelphia, PA on February 20th, 1943 to parents Elaine and Daniel Sr. Tom is survived by his wife Sandy; sons Tom Jr., Dean, and Brad; siblings, David, Richard, Elaine, Audrey, and Diane; and grandchildren Shawna, Tom III, Brianna, Kierstin, Calvin, Amber; and great grandchildren Ava, Jaide, Aubre, and Brynle. Tom was preceded in death by his first wife Pat and his brother Daniel Jr. He and the family lived in PA until he was ten years old when they made their move to Phoenix, AZ. After completing high school Tom entered the Navy and served four years aboard the USS Mahan before being honorably discharged in April 1965. In January 1966 Tom began his journey with the fire service as a Phoenix Firefighter. Over 20 years he held many positions, including the department Safety Officer, Inspector, Investigator, and as a Captain at multiple stations. In 1993 Tom became the Doney Park (Summit) Fire Department Fire Chief where he ushered the department into the 20th century by building a new fire station, purchasing a new engine, bringing full time paramedics to the department, and getting the department included in both the Public Safety Retirement System and the local 911 answering system. In May 1999 Tom accepted a position with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation to be their inaugural Fire Chief where he was tasked with building their fire department from the ground up. Tom finally retired from the fire service in June 2010 after serving 44.5 years. During his free time Tom enjoyed any time spent with family, especially his grand and great-grandchildren, watching the Phoenix Suns, tinkering around the house, and admiring classic cars. Tom will forever be remembered and loved for his warm smile, incredible quick wit, and his passion for learning and teaching. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 1st, 2021 at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona located at 23029 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85024 at 10:00AM.
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