Obituary of Thomas Careen

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Tom Careen, beloved father, brother and uncle, on February 29, 2024. He passed away in Placentia at the age of 71. He is predeceased by his parents, John and Helen (Nellie), brother Johnny, and sister Genie. Remaining with cherished memories are his daughters Elanor (Ellie) and Kathleen (Kate), brothers Nick and Anthony, sister Patsy, and many nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. Tom was a respected member of his community and could be regularly seen walking around town, likely amassing enough lifetime kilometres to cover the province more than once. He had a multitude of stories to tell on any occasion to brighten up anyone’s day. He was steadfast and discerning, yet light-hearted. Tom’s passion for history, particularly Newfoundland history, and sociopolitics was well documented in his numerous letters to The Telegram and phone calls with VOCM. He was a passionate advocate for the improvement of mental health care in the province. He loved good food, books and film/television. He enjoyed reading the author Tolkien, particularly The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He would often quote passages from the novels or the movie adaptations with his daughters. Samwise Gamgee was his favourite literary character, Tom embodied so much of the determination, compassion and love that made the character so important to him. His greatest love was his daughters who he always called “his girls”. They will miss and love him always and forever. Tom’s family would like to thank the staff at Placentia Health Centre for their compassion, support, and care. Also a heartfelt thank you to family, friends and neighbours who supported Tom in the days of his illness. Donations in memory of Tom may be made to Placentia Public Library where he often brought his daughters when they were children, researched his interests, worked on his letters to the Telegram and most importantly made many dear friends. A private burial will be held at Coombs Memorial Cemetery, Southeast, Placentia.