In Memoriam: Thomas G. Corwin '88

Thomas George Corwin '88 of Newton, Massachussetts, and Currier House died in his sleep early Sunday morning after a 12-year battle with leukemia. He was 22.

Tom's life, as are the lives of many children afflicted with cancer, was a profile in courage. Stricken with the disease at age 10, Tom missed most of his sixth-grade year because of intensive chemotherapy but insisted on being promoted with his class. In spite of significant physical limitations, Tom strove to be normal and did more than succeed. He graduated third in his class with high honors from Noble and Greenough High School, where he was editor-in-chief of the campus literary magazine, captained the golf team and won the school's highest award for creative writing in his senior year.

After three steady years at Harvard, the cancer returned in the summer before his senior year. Yet Tom's single-minded quest to lead an uncompromised life bore on. Despite continual pain and debilitating chemotherapy every other weekend, Tom gained a second remission and stayed in school, taking two classes in the fall and a full courseload in the spring and participating in intramural sports. He earned his degree at Harvard Summer School, finishing his last exam on August 19. The next day, while on vacation in Colorado, he relapsed one final time.

Tom's specific accomplishments at Harvard were numerous. However, to highlight his resume would be to risk overshadowing his extraordinary qualities as a human being. His family, his classmates and his multitude of friends will above all remember Tom for his sense of humor, his wonderful company and his quiet grace.

Tom loved animals, music and sports, especially hockey. Despite partial paralysis on his left side, Tom made his final venture out of the house last Friday night to watch the Crimson ice Boston College 4-3 Above all, Tom loved the mountains. With his final words he spoke of sunsets and of peace.

Perhaps the beauty of may brother Tom is best expressed in his own words. The following is an excerpt from a speech he delivered to his class at Currier House on Commencement Day last year, which he called the greatest day of his life. He describes how he felt the day the cancer came back after 10 years.

"On that futon I started thinking what it would be like to die at age 20. I cried hard, but not for the money I was not going to make nor the jobs I would never have--not even for the Harvard degree I wasn't going to recieve. On that day I thought of the many wonderful friends I had had and the chance that I would never see them again. I thought of my family. It was love that I cried for that day. From that bed I wanted to reach out and hold hands with everyone I had ever known...I vowed I would get off of that futon and fight the leukemia again just to have the chance to slow down and to love. There is nothing more important or more powerful."

"Every two weeks I go back to the Dana Farber Cancer Reseach Center, and I see and hear tremendous suffering. But the suffering is smothered by enduring hope and fearless love. I go there, and I am reminded that there is a reason why we are all here, and a reason why we put up with this world of ours..."

"It was just a joy to be here this year. Thank you and may we all live forever."

A Memorial Service will be held for Tom in Memorial Church on Wednesday, November 30 at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to: The Jimmy Fund Clinic, Dana Farber Cancer Research Center, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115 in memory of Thomas George Corwin.