John Thomas Rich Jr.

Tom lived in Jupiter, Florida, where he built a life around the things he loved most: the ocean, golf, his two goldendoodles Archer and Leo, his friends, and being active. He loved the freedom of being on the water and the endless outdoor adventures that Jupiter provided.

Tom attended DePauw University from 2007-2011, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, was a member of Beta Theta Pi, and served as captain of the men’s swim team. The summer before his senior year, Tom was in a near-fatal dirt biking accident in Colorado, breaking 21 bones in his wrists and ankles. Determined to graduate with his class and swim with his teammates again, Tom boarded a plane in a wheelchair back to school in the fall, was competing again in the pool by the winter, and walked with his classmates to receive his diploma in the spring. He later earned his master’s from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College, which led him to a successful career as a real estate broker at CBRE.

Swimming was a constant throughout Tom’s life. Long after his college years, he remained a devoted and highly competitive swimmer, training and competing with several U.S. Masters Swimming clubs and taking on open-water races throughout Florida. Most recently, he won his age group in the 2026 12.5-mile Swim Around Key West race.

Tom loved boating, fishing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, dirt biking, and any adventure that would keep him in constant motion. His love of water started young, with summers spent tubing and waterskiing on his grandmother Barbara’s lake in Minnesota. Inspired by his uncle, Tom was also a serious birder with an incredible knowledge of the birds he saw in South Florida and a genuine excitement about spotting new birds wherever he traveled.

Tom followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps and learned to fly, earning his pilot’s license at the age of 18. In recent years, Tom spent time learning about farming, hunting, and ranching at Triple Quail in North Florida with his father, John, and John’s partner, Cindy. Ranching was not exactly Tom’s idea at first, but he threw himself into learning it with the same curiosity he brought to everything.

Tom inherited his love of giving back from his mother, Marion, whose lifetime of volunteer work showed him from an early age the importance of helping others. Tom started early as a Big Brother in high school and, later, coached swimming in Telluride. Everyone gravitated towards Tom, especially children. He took genuine joy in making them laugh, teaching them something new, and, more often than not, joining in whatever they were doing.

Golf was one of Tom’s great passions. He played whenever and wherever he could, most recently across Scotland, and sought out new courses anytime he traveled. He was a member of many golf clubs over the years, including his favorite Turtle Creek Club, and adored the community and friendships that came with it. He loved the ritual of golf, the challenge of constantly improving his swing, and the excuse it gave him to spend a day outside with people he loved.

As a child, Tom’s family joked that he deserved his own orthopedic wing in the hospital. He broke his leg wakeboarding, smashed his collarbone multiple times, severed tendons, had his appendix and gallbladder removed, and broke more bones than anyone could count dirt biking. To Tom, every scar was a souvenir — and, with it, a story that he found hilarious.

Tom had a deep and particular love for the 1990s and early 2000s, a nostalgia he shared with his sister, Mimi. The two were forever exchanging memories of their beloved Totoro, wonderfully strange Nickelodeon shows they watched as kids, their idolization of Pee-wee Herman, terrifying themselves reading Goosebumps, and the toys they grew up with — from Nintendo 64 to Tamagotchis to Moon Shoes. Legos, Pokémon cards, vintage games, and other relics of their childhood sit alongside his movies and books in his Jupiter home.

He inherited his love of reading from his grandmother, Tommy. His home and Kindle were filled with books about adventure, survival, improving his health, and, of course, all the classics. He particularly loved Stephen King. When it came to movies — or, as he corrected his friends, “films” — Tom was outpacing his cinephile mom and sister, always disappearing into some new world, yet holding dear 2000s “classics” like Step Brothers and Krampus. Of course, Tom never forgot his roots, revisiting The Office and Eastbound and Down relentlessly. These were some of the many things that made him Tom.

Tom had an enormous circle of friends from different periods of his life, and he kept those friendships. He was social and funny, curious and enthusiastic, and could connect with just about anyone. He loved bringing everyone together and had a remarkable number of people who considered him their closest friend. His best friend, John Peterson, was a brother to him for more than 25 years. Through different schools, jobs, and cities, they never lost touch. It was no surprise that they both eventually found themselves living on Florida’s Treasure Coast, just minutes from each other.

Tom is survived by his mother Marion Rich, his father John Rich, his sister Mimi Rich, as well as his extended family and his many, many friends.

Tom packed an extraordinary amount of living into his 37 years. He will be deeply missed by his family, his friends, and everyone who was lucky enough to share some part of his wonderful life.