Of bunny hops and wrestling matches

As Brian mentioned, Tom when through a phase where, at the end of a night with a few drinks, he'd decide to hop around like a bunny. He'd get this twinkle in his eye and a wide, mischievous grin, pull his hands in front of him so they hung like paws, and start bouncing on both legs, slowly at first and then getting faster and higher with each hop. Unfortunately, his balance by this point was generally slightly off and he had enough bulk that it became dangerous to be in his unpredictable path; the effect was rather like a loose wrecking ball wearing an Energizer bunny costume. Chapter room furniture and bystanders' feet will never be the same. And all the while, Tom's grin grew wider and wider, and it was clear that he thought this was hillarious -- and it was, as long as he didn't land on your big toe.

He also liked wrestling with people in those situations; Brian was always able to hold his own in those matchups, but others like Greg weren't always so lucky and would sometimes end up pinned beneath him till others hopped into the match and collectively overpowered Tom. But Tom was always in control, and though he might well be trying to outmatch you, it was always clear that he was making sure he didn't hurt anyone; it was always in good clean fun. You always knew when he was getting ready to start something, because he'd start with that grin of his and start looking around the room to see who he could get to take him on.

And I think that grin of his, whether you saw it late at night in section after a few drinks, or on the way to the IM soccer fields for a game of pickup football, or sitting around telling stories about each other and about alums of the fraternity, was really the defining characteristic of Tom for me. He was brilliant yet funny and down to earth, accomplished and motivated yet ready to clown around at the drop of a hat, and he always carried that contagious fun to the people he was with.