Working with Tom Maher and the gang at National Underwriter when I came aboard back in 1981 was like stepping onto the set of "The Front Page," the play and movie about classic newspapermen--cynical about authority and dedicated to exposing shenanigans large and small. I'm very sad to report that Tom passed away on Feb. 13 at the age of 77.

Tom was a real character, as well as a gentleman of extraordinary character. Without his support and mentoring, I never would have been promoted to take over for him as managing editor in 1986 when Tom left to pursue a second career as a freelance writer and marketing consultant. We remained close friends for 26 years.

Tom was a stand-up guy who would do anything for a friend. He was old school--always putting in an honest day's work, and respectful of anyone who did the same.

Recommended For You

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader

Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more inforrmation visit Asset & Logo Licensing.