Obituary - Thomas McDermott

Thomas Michael McDermott, 50, resident of Smithtown, New York, was born on August 26th, 1968. Raised in Queens, Tom learned guitar and other instruments, made mischief, and spent many childhood summers in Ireland. He attended Holy Cross High School, before graduating with honors in 1986 and attending Hofstra University. At Hofstra, Tom would meet his wife in 1989 and earn his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in 1990. He went on to attend Fordham Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1994. A life-long lover of the arts, Tom traded and collected rare recordings of Bob Dylan performances and read the works of Charles Bukowski, James Joyce, and E.E. Cummings. Though he never gave up, Tom passed away June 17th, 2019, following a year-long battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Although he rarely wore it on his sleeve, Tom had a very big heart. Strong-willed and with a strong sense of humor, Tom will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Dawn McDermott, and children, Emily and James McDermott. He will also forever be remembered by his mother, Mary McDermott; sisters, Deirdre McDermott and Pamela Long and husband Jim; nieces, Sarah Ondrush and Abigail Long; nephews, Liam Ondrush and Charles Long; and many other loved ones in both the United States and Ireland. Tom is predeceased by his father, Charles Dermot McDermott. Visitation at The St. James Funeral Home, 829 Middle Country Rd. St. James on June 21, 2019 from 5-9PM. Funeral Mass at St. Patrick’s RCC, on June 22, 2019 9:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Tom’s memory to the Lymphoma Research Foundation or the Stony Brook Cancer Center. Mr. McDermott’s funeral arrangements were professionally supervised while the McDermott Family was lovingly cared for during their bereavement by The Maher Family & Staff of the St. James Funeral Home.