Thomas Hadley

Thomas Jay Hadley, age 71, passed away in his sleep on Wednesday, February 19th, after a valiant battle with bone marrow cancer. He was born February 19th, 1954, in Akron, Ohio, the son of the late Irvin and Josephine Hadley.

Thomas, or depending on your relationship with him, Tom, Tommy, or Big Tom, was a gregarious soul. Always quick with a smile, and even quicker with a story to tell, he was born to be the life of any gathering of friends and family. And while he may have been the heart and soul of any party, his own heart and soul was captured at an early age, by his high school sweetheart, and eventual wife and lifelong partner, whom he is survived by, Paula Hadley.

In addition to dedicating his life to his loving wife, Tom also gave his all into raising two boys, TJ and Kevin Hadley. He was a committed, loving father; throwing himself into the passions of his sons, coaching them in multiple sports as youths, and instilling in them a drive and desire to give it their all, no matter the activity. He continued to be a huge part of their lives, long after they ventured out on their own. And those boys took some of Tom, and his many life lessons with them. Going on to build lives and families of their own.

Kevin moved to Cincinnati, and gave Tom and Paula their first daughter in marrying Becca. The two of them later blessed the family with two grandchildren, Brody and Rowan, giving Tom a new moniker, which he threw his whole being into: Jido. Jido was a loving, doting grandfather; ready to joke, play and spoil at the drop of a hat; and willing to drive hours on-end to catch Brody play soccer, or Rowan compete in gymnastics.

His eldest, TJ, moved up to Cleveland, but stayed connected with Tom through sports, as the two went to more sporting events over the years than either of them could count. They started with Cavaliers season tickets, but pivoted over the years, to the occasional Browns games, trips to see the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and *many* Guardians games. TJ eventually introduced Tom to his second daughter-in-law, Kaitlyn, who is always quick to point out that while she wishes she were a 'Paula', she is definitely a 'Tom', in all the best ways.

In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren, Tom is survived by his older siblings Jimmy (Jill) Hadley and Patti Staeger, along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews. And friends. So many friends. For Tom lived for the people around him, family and friends alike.

The family will be holding a small mass and burial for Tom this Thursday, 10:00am at Our Lady of the Cedars Maronite Catholic Church. Burial will take place for the immediate family at Holy Cross. We will be hosting a Celebration of Life at a yet to be determined place and date, at which you all will be encouraged to attend, share your favorite memories of Tom, and raise a rum and coke in his honor.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to either The V Foundation (V.org) or St Jude (stjude.org)