Thomas Classon, July 16, 2008
In loving memory of Thomas Classon who passed away on July 16, 2008 in Washington State. Please feel free to write your own remembrances in the space provided at the bottom of this page.
5 Responses to “Thomas Classon, July 16, 2008”
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I worked with Tom at Para-Phernalia. Tom and Jim kept the music playing all day long. This song by Jackson Browne was my favorite, these lyrics from “For a Dancer” say it all for me…
Keep a fire burning in your eye
Pay attention to the open sky
You never know what will be coming down
I dont remember losing track of you
You were always dancing in and out of view
I must have thought you’d always be around
Always keeping things real by playing the clown
Now you’re nowhere to be found
I dont know what happens when people die
Cant seem to grasp it as hard as I try
Its like a song I can hear playing right in my ear
That I can’t sing
I can’t help listening
And I can’t help feeling stupid standing round
Crying as they ease you down
cause I know that you’d rather we were dancing
Dancing our sorrow away
(right on dancing)
No matter what fate chooses to play
there’s nothing you can do about it anyway
Fly free Tom.
I made hundreds of skydives with Classon and rode dirt bikes with him for hundreds of hours. He was a very gifted person both physically and mentally and I will always remember him. I watched him open at about 100 feet and land in the VIP’s parking lot in Issaquah after having a high speed malfuntion (bag lock)…he was jumping barefoot and landed in a cloud of dust…he emerged from the dust laughing. Just one of many amazing near misses he had in his lifetime. Tom managed to survive the infamous Loadstar crash in Arlington Washington and was the last person out of the aircraft that survived. An amazing person he was, and I will always remember the times we had. Tom, thanks for the great times. Sincerely, Tim Hunt
I met Tom at Western Washington State College in 1969. He walked into Professor Homer Weiner’s art class late, barefoot and wearing the world’s oldest pair of Levis. It was love at first sight. He was a talented artist and deeply intense individual. I shall always remember his mischievious grin and sweet voice. It saddens me deeply to hear of his passing.
Ahh yes Tom Classon came into my life when I was 20. 1970 and became a close friend. He always called me Tortoise or a long name that went something like this: tortutamungalutimizer…yes Tom was a challanged genius in more ways than one could ever know. In the early 70’s we were room mates at CRAZY Daves place off 148th, the skydiving party house. My girl friend at the time was Julie Reinmiller and the three of us had many great memories, sadly, or perhaps gladly, both Julie and Tom glide in the heavens together with the fallen falcons of the Issaquah BANDITS…long live the memories. I want to say Hi to the others that wrote. I have many thoughts, one great one were Tom’s Angel wings. He made a set of strap on, aluminum riveted wings that had metal individul feathers. Perfectly crafted. He must have spent weeks and months building it. Perhaps he was inspired by the 1,000,000 aluminum coke cans CD had lined up in the house. Well another one is the straight down sky dive shot will always be famous too. For those who know the picture, it is a thrilling track-dive to the earth…and a peice of past closed and never forgotten. Bless you Tom Classon master craftsman, artist, pilot, skydiver, and FRIEND…Tom
Tom, sorry you will be missing our 50th reunion. From first grade on you shined like a star. As near as I can tell you lived life to the fullest.