Dr. Thomas James Devers (the first of his name) passed peacefully on June 16th, Father's Day, surrounded by his beloved wife, Geraldine, his only begotten son and best friend, Sean, and his 3 adoring daughters: Megan, Kelly, and Casey. In addition to his wife and children, he leaves behind his 6 beautiful grandchildren: Teddy, Quinn, Brendan, Jonah, Paige, and Cameron; his 3 handsome brothers and their patient wives: his twin Pat (Mary Ellen), Frank (Jean), and Kevin (Sue); 10 beloved nieces and nephews; and 3 sons-in-law Kevin, John, and Dan, for whom he felt great affection and empathy. Beyond his family, golf was one of the great loves of his life. He loved to play at Shuttle Meadow Country Club, where he was a member for 40 years, spending countless rounds with Sean and rolling for pitchers with his best friends on Thursdays and Saturdays. In 2005 he won the Senior Club Championship, mere moments after Sean clinched the Club Championship, creating a legacy and bragging rights that will live on in infamy. This feat is still the first and only to have been accomplished by father and son in the club's 100+ years of existence. Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Pasatiempo, Merion, Winged Foot, Tierra Del Sol, Tryall, and well, anywhere really, that he could play, provided him with his quiet joy. He spent his retirement years at both Grand Haven CC and the Hammock Dunes Club in Palm Coast, quickly assimilating himself to different groups of his new "golf guys" and soaking in the austerity and peacefulness of his new favorite course, The Creek. He loved the 2017 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Iggles; the Phillies; Bruce Springsteen; Bob Marley; his Jag convertible, 2-Iron; Cher; Lucille Ball; adventurous eating (especially if it was weird or spicy); Capitol Lunch; Lenny & Joe's; warm cookies; the Wall Street Journal; Coors Light, big Napa Reds and 100% Italian Sangioveses. He loved to travel and most recently took two "once in a lifetime" trips, a cruise to Alaska (nobody fell overboard) and a family trip to the Chianti countryside in Italy, which he referred to as the best trip of his life. He even expertly navigated a Segway through the crowded streets of Florence, after some expected protest. He was known to take long walks on the golf course with the family labradors and loved them dearly, regardless of the fact that he was constantly trying to give them away to anyone who admired them. Specializing in gastroenterology, he was "Doc" to his friends, who brought all manner of medical ailments to his door - from bee stings to broken bones. His common refrain when told by someone that it hurt to do something was, "Well, then stop doing that." He also liked to ask, following an injury, what you were wearing on your feet at the time of the accident. And if you were barefoot, well, then you deserved whatever happened to you. He was an accomplished gastroenterologist practicing in New Britain and at UConn Health Center for 41 years. He found renewed passion for his craft by teaching later in his career and relished working closely with the residents and Fellows at UConn. He loved his patients and spent his life helping those who needed him. Notably, before his long career in medicine, he worked as a cameraman for American Bandstand in the 1960's and was the first center field cameraman for the Philadelphia Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium, an early pioneer of the direct view into the catcher for TV broadcasts. The family would like to thank the Bone Marrow Transplant team at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, especially the nurses and techs on 3 West, for their loving and attentive care. Calling hours will be at New Britain Memorial & Donald D. Sagarino Funeral Home, 444 Farmington Ave., New Britain on Saturday, August 10th from 1pm-3pm. For directions or online condolences, please visit newbritainsagarino.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the MDS Foundation at www.mds-foundation.org or a charity of the donor's choice
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