Tomm Shockey Obituary

Tomm Baird Shockey, devoted teacher, gifted linguist, and master of many hands-on pursuits, passed away on July 5, 2025 a few miles from the place he loved most-his 18th-century farmhouse nestled in the blueberry fields of rural Maine. He was 90.

Born to Ralf J. Shockey and Sara Newman Shockey in Rutland, Vermont on August 24, 1934, Tomm spent his early childhood in the Green Mountains before moving with his family to New York City, and later to Larchmont, New York. In Manhattan, his father ran a marketing firm from an office in the Empire State Building-a setting that gave young Tomm an early appreciation for language, storytelling, and the workings of the world. His academic journey was as wide-ranging as his intellect. He graduated from Dartmouth College and Middlebury College, studied abroad at the University of Mainz in Germany, and ultimately earned his PhD in Germanic Languages from the University of Connecticut.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Tomm lived in Vernon, Connecticut, where he taught at University of Connecticut and raised his family. He was a beloved professor known for his wit, rigor, and enduring mentorship. In addition to teaching both English and German in Germany, he also taught English in Orel, Russia, Austria, and in Japan, where he served as English language consultant for the Aomori Winter Asian Games Organizing Committee. His former students-spread across Europe, Asia, and beyond-remember him for his deep knowledge, kind discipline, and unmistakable presence. He taught English as a second language at the Acadia Center well into his 80s.

In addition to teaching, Tomm earned his pilot's license and flew small aircraft, such as Cessnas and Piper Cubs. He cherished the perspective that came with flying-another expression of his lifelong love for systems, navigation, and the elegance of precision technology. He enjoyed sailing and slowly driving his 1931 Ford Model A at the same speed he was known to drive all his vehicles.

He was also a lifelong enthusiast of Morse code and shortwave radio, holding a HAM license since the late 1940s under the call sign W2BFE. Using a classic telegraph key, Tomm tapped messages to fellow operators across the globe, forming a quiet, steady web of communication that long predated the digital age. Remarkably, he continued broadcasting until the very end of his life. His knowledge of history, particularly World War II, enabled him to lend his skills to media projects-most notably contributing German-to-English translations for the PBS NOVA documentary Hitler's Lost Sub.

As a high-fidelity audio enthusiast, he delighted in listening to classical music with the warmth of tube amplifiers and was an early adopter of cutting-edge sound technology. In the 1970s, he was among the first to own magnetic planar speakers, and in 1983, the very year the technology debuted, he acquired one of the earliest CD players. Another of Tomm's lifelong pursuits was the curation of antique clocks. He lovingly restored and maintained dozens-some dating to the 1600s-winding them with reverence. At noon, his house became a cacophony of chimes and strikes that rang from every room, a chorus of the centuries that mirrored his deep appreciation for time, tradition, and continuity.

Tomm spent his last 35 years in rural Maine with his wife Leslie Galvin, in an 18th-century farmhouse surrounded by open blueberry fields. There, he built a life of quiet craftsmanship and enduring community. He maintained a full woodshop where he made furniture and millwork for his home and admired the work of other makers through their mutual interest in antique collections.

In addition to his wife Leslie Galvin of Union, Maine, he is survived by his former wife, Gunilla Broman of Friendship, Maine, and their children, Ingrid Shockey of Northampton, Massachusetts and Sven Shockey of Washington DC. He was immensely proud of his four grandsons: Forrest Webler and Kai Webler, children of Ingrid; and Bjorn Shockey and Torsten Shockey, children of Sven. He is also survived by his sister, Edith Martin; sister-in-law, Sue Shockey, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

A private memorial will be held by the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to the American Cancer Society, Sussman House, or Penn Bay Amateur Radio Club.

We wish to thank the kind and dedicated caregivers at Bartlett Woods and Sussman House.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Hall Funeral Home, Waldoboro. To extend a condolence or share a story with the Shockey family, please visit Tomm's Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com