Thomas Albert Zack

WINDHAM – Tom “Tommy” Zack passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 25, 2025, at his home.

He was our Easter baby born on April 11, 1980, the second of four children to Carol and Tom Zack Sr. Tom grew up on Portland’s West End and attended Reiche Elementary and King Middle Schools. During the summers Tommy enjoyed playing “Capture the Flag” and swimming with his cousins Jay and Clark, and his siblings at his grandparents’ camp at Schoodic Lake.

Tom was a talented athlete who loved to ski and play basketball on the Willie’s Wonders team at the Boys and Girls Club with his great group of friends from Portland High. Tom played soccer and baseball in high school and was a member of the 1998 State Championship Baseball team. His coaches nicknamed him “Money” because he could always chase down fly balls in center field. He loved the band Phish and the Beatles, and watching the Simpsons and Seinfeld.

Tom obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from USM after stints at UVM and UMO. He spent several months on the North Shore of Oahu and worked as a landscaper. He did assembly work at Lanco Assembly Systems for several years, and then changed professions to carpentry at Inner Works Construction Services.

Tom was an avid New England sports fan. He had the “best smile”, according to his Auntie Joanne. He was the quiet one at family gatherings, but then would make some kind of a humorous deadpan, spot-on comment that would have us all in stitches. He enjoyed cooking and watched cooking shows to perfect his skills; his signature snack was beef jerky.

Tom’s dearest accomplishments were his three children, Evan, Chloe, and Tommy III. He was a proud Dad and created special memories for them with their cousins, either at the family camp at Sebago, the pool at the Western Prom house, or in Melbourne Beach, Fla. at their grandparents’ condo.

Tom was predeceased by his beloved aunt, Sue Mills; and his grandparents, Bob and Sally Smith, and Alma and Albert Zack. T

om is survived by his three children; his parents; his siblings, Emily (Bruce) of Portland, Jennifer (Tony) of Natick, Mass., and Jonathan of Portland; and nieces Saoirse Farrell, Olivia Humeniuk, and Eowyn Tracy, and nephew, Nathan Humeniuk. He is survived by loving aunts and uncles Buddy Mills, Mark and Joanne Smith, Chris and Pam Smith, Fred and Carolyn Markey, and Lenny and Cindy Marshall; along with several special cousins; and his great-aunt, Carolyn Wright.

Our hearts go out to all the families with a loved one struggling with addiction. It takes a village, and sadly, sometimes even that is not enough.

A graveside committal service will be held at Forest City Cemetery in South Portland in late spring.

In lieu of flowers,

donations can be made

in Tom’s memory to the

St. Francis Recovery Center

24 Dunn St.

Auburn, ME 04210