Time In The Trenches

To Tom and Family.

Tom Johnson and I started our 37 years together in the summer of 1969. As we jointly battled with the numerous university alligators as instructors and administrators there was one place where honesty and optimism reigned – it was through the always open door to Tom’s office. Many times I took the trip from my office to Old Main via Tom’s office. After “Time with Tom” and my sense of humor restored, my communications with Old Main, if not successful, were at least obscenity free. The challenges of serving as a supervisor and instructor for Tom’s sons Jared and Tommy were a small price to pay for the friendship and support of Thomas Stoddard Johnson. One of my fondest and most recent memories is of Tom and Guitar delivering Kingston Trio songs on my back lawn with the creek bubbling by in the background – Tom may the songs and the creek keep bubbling.

Alan Hofmeister