Tom “Malachi” Chamberlain, age 51, of Iberia died Monday afternoon, October 25, 2010 after a courageous 3 year battle with ALS.
He was born on June 29, 1959 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Gene J. Chamberlain of Huntsville, Alabama and the late Shirley F. (Caywood) Chamberlain.
After attending Colonial Crawford High School, Tom enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served for 6 years.
He was a life member of the AmVets Post #87 where he was a member of the Sad Sacks.
After his discharge in 1983 he moved to Huntsville, Alabama where he lived with his father until 1999 when he moved back to Morrow County.
One of Tom’s proudest moments occurred while living in Alabama. He won the State Frisbee Golf Championship in 1988.
It was Halloween in 2000 that Tom’s sister, a regional Pizza Hut manager, introduced her brother to her Mansfield manager, Cyndi Tryon. Cyndi, in the spirit of the season was dressed as a baby, resulting in Tom commenting the next day, when seeing her dressed in her everyday clothes, “you look different with clothes on”. That silly comment was so Tom and the start of something special. Their relationship developed into a wonderful friendship and on May 25, 2002 they were married at the Kings Gate Mall in Mansfield.
They enjoyed camping together at Wally World, Mifflin, Cedar Point, and anywhere in between.
When introduced to the Special Wish Foundation, Tom and Cyndi were hooked and they helped in any way they could; going to auctions and volunteering were just a few ways.
They also shared a passion for NASCAR, regardless of their disagreement on the best driver. Tom was a Dale Jarrett and more recently a Kevin Harvick fan and Cyndi routed for Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson.
A man with a quiet faith, Tom was a member of the Iberia Presbyterian Church.
Tom wore many hats throughout his professional life, most recently he worked as a cable installer for A.M. Communication in Galion; a subcontractor for Time Warner.
If Tom could have lived anywhere it would have been on the Tennessee River in Alabama. That was his favorite spot where he could spend hours fishing for catfish.
He cherished his family and those special times spent with them.
Tom’s most important traits were Tom’s beautiful smile, his positive outlook on life, and his sense of humor. Tom said he could handle his ALS diagnosis two ways; he could feel sorry for himself and have a lousy attitude or he could be thankful for the life he had been blessed with and deal with everyday with a positive attitude and a smile. He chose to be an inspiration to those around him and live everyday with that beautiful smile.
In addition to his father Gene and his wife Cyndi he will be missed by his children Melissa (Jeremy) Coffman of Bellville, Jessica (Steven) Caudill of Iberia, Samantha Bletz of Mansfield, and Jeremy (Alisha) Prince of Galion; 13 grandchildren; sister Teresa (Troy) Ross of Galion; brothers Gene Chamberlain of Mansfield and Charles Chamberlain of Huntsville, Alabama; nieces Amber Dotson-Reed of Delaware and Deidra Dotson of Crestline; and his best friend and husband-in-law Sanford Price.
In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by his canine companion Shasta on July 3, 2010.
Friends may call on the family on Thursday, October 28, 2010 from 3-7 PM at the Snyder Funeral Homes, Craven Chapel, 67 North Main Street, Mount Gilead. Rev. Marion T. Redding will conduct funeral services there on Friday at 11:00 AM. Burial with full military honors, conducted by the AmVets Post #87 and the V.F.W. Post #8054, will follow in Iberia Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made, in Tom’s name, to the ALS Association, Central and Southern Ohio Chapter, 1170 Old Henderson Road, Suite 221, Columbus, Ohio 43220
For those wishing to express their condolences to Tom’s family, you may do so by visiting www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
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