Thomas Ellam

Thomas Joseph Ellam, 72, of Hopkinton passed away Sept. 23 at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Born in Clinton, he was the son of the late Katharine (Durkin) and Joseph H. Ellam.

He leaves behind his wife, Susan Stevens of Hopkinton; his daughter, Sarah Stevens Ellam and her husband, Leigh Walker, of Hopkinton, and their two daughters, Rhys Ellam Walker and Tessa Ellam Walker; his son Matthew Stevens Ellam and his partner, Deanna Meeske, of Boston; and his son Timothy Stevens Ellam and his wife, Shannon, of Everett. He also leaves behind his sisters, Mary Ellam Lane, Katharine Ellam and Elizabeth Ellam, as well as many nieces and nephews and their families.  He is predeceased by his brother, Joseph J. Ellam.

Thomas was a 1965 graduate of St. John’s in Shrewsbury and a 1969 graduate of the  University of Notre Dame, and he earned his MBA from Babson College. Upon graduating from Notre Dame, he served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst and Vietnamese interpreter in Vietnam. During his long career, he worked in sales and management for Xerox, Nortel and other networking companies. In all of these places, Tom made lasting friendships. Additionally, he was a member of the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans Association, served on the Hopkinton Veterans Celebration Committee, and coached youth basketball and Little League Baseball.

Tom/Dad/Grandpa Tom was a devoted father, beloved grandfather and dear friend to many. He was grateful for the love and laughter of all his close Hopkinton friends, his old-time Clinton friends, and especially his Notre Dame family from across the country. He will be remembered for his unwavering passion for the Fighting Irish, his pursuit of knowledge, his quick wit and, most of all, his love for his family.

Visitation will be held on Monday, Sept. 28, from 4-7 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 11 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church in Hopkinton. Burial will follow in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Hopkinton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (dana-farber.org) or Vietnam Veterans of America (vva.org).