Thomas Lee Waldron's Obituary
Thomas Waldron Obituary
Thomas Lee Waldron, age 70, passed away on December 2, 2023. Tom was born
on January 9, 1953 in San Diego, CA. He enjoyed a happy childhood and liked to
share his memories of playing in the canyons around his house in Lemon Grove
and the early mornings he’d spend delivering newspapers by bicycle as a paperboy
– a task he always ended by treating himself to a donut.
Tom graduated from St. Augustine High School, and attended Grossmont
Community College and San Diego State University, where he majored in English
and pursued a secondary teaching credential. Tom spent the entirety of his
teaching career at Valhalla High School, where he taught introductory and
advanced placement classes in literature and American Studies, touching the lives
of thousands of students.
In 2003, Tom was recognized by the Grossmont Union High School District with
the Golden Apple Award for outstanding teaching. In 2009, he was selected as a
San Diego County Teacher of the Year, and upon retirement in June 2012, Valhalla
High School recognized Tom with an Honorary Odin Award for his thirty-six years
of service.
After his passing, his Facebook page was filled with messages from former
students and colleagues who remembered him for his exceptional dedication to
his students, his compassion and his warmth. Many recalled his ritual of
welcoming each student with a handshake when they entered the classroom and
how that daily contact made them feel seen and valued.
Tom met his wife, Mary, while they were both still in high school, brought together
through a planning committee for Mary’s junior class retreat at Rosary High School
in Fullerton. They weren’t immediate sweethearts but became good friends. Over
the course of the next few years, they wrote letters and maintained a long
distance relationship as they became more seriously involved with each other.
They were married on May 25, 1974, at All Hallows Church in La Jolla. Tom and
Mary would have been celebrating their 50
th wedding anniversary in 2024.
Tom was a dedicated father who supported Emily and Nico’s wide range of
interests, driving them back and forth from countless art and music lessons,
horseback riding competitions, and other sports. For years, he coached Emily’s
soccer teams and let Nico serve as his assistant coach. Eager to share his love of
the outdoors with his family, he also planned numerous road trips and camping
excursions to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Mesa Verde and the Sierra Nevadas.
When his grandson Cooper was born, Tom became actively involved in his
childcare – reading to him, making him laugh and taking him to parks and
museums around Los Angeles. As Cooper’s fascination with all things related to
trash trucks grew, Tom recorded and sent weekly videos of the neighborhood
trash pickups.
Tom spent his retirement traveling, visiting his sister Sue in Maui, making the trek
up Cowles Mountain at dawn, gardening and mastering the art of composting. He
volunteered as a driver for Mama’s Kitchen, delivering meals for people living with
HIV and AIDS, and as a docent at the Visitor Center at Mission Trails Regional Park.
He also used his retirement to explore his passion for music and for writing. He
learned to play the guitar and sought out every chance he could to see the Dave
Matthews Band live in concert. He published over a hundred short essays and
stories on his blog, and took writing workshops in fiction and poetry. He rarely
missed his weekly writers group with his writing partners, Zak and Melissa, and
found a few opportunities to give readings of his work at the Fine Arts Work
Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the monthly Dime Stories open mic at the
Book Catapult in South Park, and the San Diego Public Library’s Decameron
Project.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, John P. Waldron and Agnes Waldron,
and by his elder sister, Patricia Backman. He is survived by his wife Mary, children,
Nico Amador and Emily Waldron, grandson Cooper Diaz, son-in-law, Justin Diaz,
sister and brother-in-law, Sue and Tom Urban, and his three nieces, Lisa Manley,
Jessica Cunningham, and Aspasia Burnworth.
A Celebration of Life is being held on January 5th at Greenwood Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Mission Trails Regional Park in Tom’s name would
be greatly appreciated.
What’s your fondest memory of Thomas?
What’s a lesson you learned from Thomas?
Share a story where Thomas' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Thomas you’ll never forget.
How did Thomas make you smile?
