Thomas Hardiman

Thomas Hardiman, a resident of Dracut, MA, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 8, 2024 at the Penacook Place Nursing Home with his beloved wife Anne by his side, following a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease and dementia. He was 81 years old.

Tom was born February 10th in 1943, the fourth of five children born to Joseph and Isabella Hardiman. Tom spent the first half of his youth in Roxbury on Ennis Road before the family moved to the Forest Hills section of Boston. He attended Charlestown High where he graduated as an Electrician’s Apprentice and began a long career in that field. He was a proud Local 103 member and would delight in showing or telling us about some of the projects he worked on. An injury forced him to take an Electrician’s job at Raytheon at one point in his career, where the wear and tear wasn’t as heavy, but he never stopped paying his dues and returned to Local 103 for the last part of his working career before retirement.

Tom loved all sports and told us many stories about playing baseball and basketball with friends. He loved to brag about playing catcher as a kid and every now and then would join his children shooting baskets in the backyard, where he would dust off his ugly looking Bob Cousy hook shot from 20 feet. The Bruins were probably his favorite pro sports team though, their blue collar, tough persona was easy to identify with for him.

Tom and his wife were married June 15th, 2002. They have been together for 35 wonderful years. Tom and Anne loved traveling and took many trips to various resorts islands all over the world. He loved playing the numbers, and we would smile as he told us for the umpteenth time how he just missed the big one, because of every reason imaginable. Tom and Anne also enjoyed visiting casinos whenever the opportunity presented itself, here in New England, on their resort island vacations and of course, Las Vegas. Long ago, he had a memorable experience on Mass Lottery’s Big Money Game Show. He made it to the last two people before he was eliminated, but it was a big thrill for all of us to watch.

Tom also loved watching his kids play sports, plain t-shirts with a pocket only, no logos or lettering for him, a cold Miller High Life, friends at the Knickerbocker Club in Lowell, and holding court telling stories that seemed to become more outrageous as the years passed.

Tom is survived by his wife, Anne, her son and daughter in-law, Mike and Keri Belodeau, their two children, who were the last of his 15 grandchildren in total, one great-grandchild and all of his children; Mikey and Maura Hardiman, Debbie and Kevin Kliska, Danny Hardiman, Stevie and Gina Hardiman and Susie Barber and her partner Mike. Tom is also survived by his youngest sister, Juliette Hardiman, older brother, Charlie Hardiman and his wife Chickie.

Tom is pre-deceased by his aforementioned mother and father, Joseph and Isabella, and his older sisters, Marie Beach and Louise Sullivan.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Tom’s Life Celebration on Friday, July 12, 2024 from 4 until 7 PM at the McKENNA-OUELLETTE FUNERAL HOME, 327 Hildreth Street, Lowell. His Funeral Service will be celebrated on Saturday at 11 AM at St. Joseph Cemetery, Chelmsford. Donations may be made in Tom’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131.