William Thomas (Tommy) Reardon came into the world in Mason County on a blustery March day, March 25, 1938. His parents, Frantz and Dorothy Zesch Reardon soon learned that their first born was as lively (and windy) as the day of his birth. He was joined by a little brother, Pat less than two years later. The two remained life-long friends as well as brothers.
Tommy's zest for life, strength, eloquence and intuitive love for people served him well throughout his life. He rose to the rank of Eagle Scout and served as a counselor at Camp Tom Wooten, where he made life-long friends. After graduating from Mason High School in 1956 as president of his class, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving four years as an aircraft mechanic stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio where he also served as Scout Master and once again, made life-long friends.
After his enlistment was up, he enrolled in Southwest Texas State Teachers' College in San Marcos majoring in Agriculture with a minor in English literature, and once again, making life-long friends. It was there that he met his future wife, Beth Sparks.They were married when he graduated and he worked for the Texas Department of Agriculture until Beth graduated and they were married.
After graduation, they moved back to his home town of Mason where the school board had recruited him to become a teacher. He finished the work for his teaching certificate at Howard Payne College in Brownwood. After a time of living in the Reardon family home in town, the young couple lived and worked a farm near Fredonia, while at the same time teaching in town. Their marriage was blessed with three wonderful children, William Frantz (Will), Sean Patrick and Helen Elizabeth. By the time Helen arrived the family had moved to the ranch on Spice Creek.
Even with the full-time work of ranching, Tommy taught 5th and 6th grade arithmetic in the same classroom for 30 years, coached Junior High football for a time, served as Scoutmaster, and served in leadership roles in First Methodist Church, as a short term missionary in Bolivia, as a musician on Walks to Emmaus, all the time taking treasured photographs of the land and people he loved so much. Upon retirement from teaching in 1994, Tommy was elected Mason County Judge and served 4 years in that capacity, again, making life-long friends.
Tommy married his current wife, Jean, in March of 1993. When Jean retired from teaching in 2002 and went to seminary, Tommy began a new phase of life. When Jean was appointed to Brackettville in 2005, Tommy embarked on a career as "clergy spouse" and joyfully served with Jean in Brackettville and the last 6 1/2 years in Ozona, once again making life-long friends. They planned to move home to Mason in July of this year.
Tommy left this life on March 1, 2018, another blustery March morning, after a series of health problems made it impossible for his body to recover. He died peacefully at home in Mason.
He leaves behind to joyfully remember his life and regret his loss, his wife, Rev. Jean Reardon; son and daughter-in-law, Sean and Terri Reardon and their sons, Aaron and Connor; his daughter, Helen Reardon McCarthy, her spouse Anne and their children, Judith and Isaac; Sean and Helen's mother, Beth Sparks Reardon; his brother, Pat and his wife Carol Jean, their daughters Amy and Wendy and Wendy's children, Jeremy and Ashley; sisters-in-law, Ann Fields and Cindy Brown; first cousins, Jordan Zesch, Don Zesch, Beth Reardon Leifeste Alm, Robert Charles Reardon and; a host of life-long friends and myriad former students whom he always referred to as "his little boys and girls" , especially the one that was his "other son" Jesus Gomez.
Tommy leaves us behind to join in heaven his mom and dad; son, Will, daughter-in-law, Melissa Ziemke Reardon, and many of those life-long friends.
A service celebrating the life and faith of Tommy Reardon will be held on Saturday, March 10th at 10 AM at First United Methodist Church of Mason. The service will be followed by a time of fellowship and sharing of stories in the fellowship hall of the church.