Ode To Tom Maher

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.

Tom was also a riot. His humor--most often self-deprecating--was sarcastic but never mean-spirited. While he did not suffer fools gladly, he reserved his rapier wit to skewer those who had it coming--quick to puncture the hypocrisy of blowhards, whether in government, the industry or our own magazine.

Tom was a huge baseball fan and a dandy middle infielder in his youth who confessed he lacked a major league arm, but there was never anything minor league about his ability to pitch a story.

Tom was our "Marketing Scene" columnist--the expert on life in the mythical kingdom of what he liked to call "Insurancedom," reporting on how the industry spun its message. His funny and insightful commentary was often worth the price of an NU subscription by itself.

Thomas J. Slattery, the longtime NU editor who promoted me to managing editor, captured the essential decency of Tom Maher. "It's easy enough to say he was a funny man who squinted at life with jaundiced eyes, and leave it at that. But he was so much more," he said. "His gift for dark humor, sarcasm, and for wielding a biting cartoonist' pen masked a warm, gentle and giving spirit. For those of us privileged to have shared his life, he will be missed, terribly."

Rick Gilman, a former NU reporter who is now vice president of communications at ACORD, said that "despite his sometimes biting sense of humor, Tom was a gentle, caring man with a kind heart and a sweet spirit. He will be sorely missed by the hundreds of people he touched throughout his career. I count myself lucky to be among them."

Jack Appleman--a fellow editor at Modern Grocer before I joined NU, now a business writing coach who worked with Tom after I introduced the two--cited our friend's uncommon selflessness in the dog-eat-dog world of freelancing.

"Throughout my career--especially as an insurance communication specialist--Tom was one of the first people I turned to when I needed leads, resources or advice, and he always responded quickly with a lot more information than I could've expected, including his well-thought-out advice and unique perspective on the world," Jack recalled. "Tom genuinely enjoyed helping people and got so much pleasure from the success of others."

When I posted my "Ode To John Cosgrove," another former NU editor, Tom Maher noted that "while we mourn those who have passed on, we especially remember those who left us laughing." He could just as easily have been talking about himself.