By Olivia Grenham
Local Wakefield seniors and Wakefield Memorial High School seniors came together for lunch, conversation, and interviews as part of a cross-generational program titled Seniors to Seniors. The resulting articles written by students using lived experiences from the adults as content are being published as a series. Seniors to Seniors is a collaboration between The Savings Bank, The Room to Write, Wakefield High School, Wakefield Senior Center, Wakefield Daily Item, and JC Marketing Associates.
Tom Beers who would describe himself as the movie Wild Alaska on two legs. With a heart as vast as the wilderness, he’s more than just a man – he’s a living, breathing adventure. From running after the thrill of hunting to casting lines into the depths of the ocean, Tom’s life is a majestic symphony set against the backdrop of nature’s grandeur. Step into his world, where every moment is a new adventure.
Tom, at 85 years old, stands as a living chronicle of extraordinary events that have shaped the course of history. In his life he witnessed some of humanity’s tragedies and also has seen the achievements of mankind. He was inspired by the race to the moon, by the daring space fights that pushed the boundaries of exploration. Yet in addition to seeing humanity explore the expenses of the cosmos and the wonders of space travel, he also saw the heart-wrenching loss of President Kennedy. More recently, he got to enjoy the many victories of his beloved Patriots, celebrating their wins as symbols of resilience and unity. Tom embodies hope in the face of an ever-changing world.
Tom was a hardworking man until his retirement when he was 64. He wanted to study forestry, a dream that his high school counselors wiped out because they said there was no future in it. He attended Wentworth where he studied machine work. While working in machine work he was offered a job in the Air Force, which he did not end up taking. Instead, he started working at a cabinet shop on Foundry Street and stayed there for the next 24 years. He later started working for a cabling department at Hewlett Packard in 1981 and worked there for 19 years. With this job he traveled a lot, which he loved because Tom is an adventurous guy and loves new things. After all his hard work with school and working, he retired at the ripe age of 64.
Tom now lives happily with his wife in Wakefield where he has lived his whole life. He says, “I mean if I picked anyone else to marry, I would probably be divorced.” They have been together for over 60 years and have even done a cross country road trip together, just adding onto the adventurous Tom. They now have a relaxing life while Tom still does the things he loves most – wood carving. For the last 22 years Tom has carved, whittled, and painted beautiful birds, which he enters into competitions. He started off by learning to create cardinals, but now he carves a new bird each time. His work won praise and awards across New England. He competed in the World Carving Competition and still competes in the New Brunswick Canada annual competition, as well as the annual New England carving competition. He also has some of the birds he’s carved in a museum in Mexico; over 30 birds were sold to the owner, who is one of Tom’s biggest fans. Tom might be 85, but he has the soul of a 21 year old. There’s no stopping him.
