Dave Posted January 4, 2019 Share #1 Posted January 4, 2019 Horrible news for the collecting community...just found out that Tom Lane passed away from a fall at his home in Chicago. Very shocking to all who knew him. As a fellow collector and 25+ year friend, I can say he will very much be missed by me as well as many of us in this community. More details about any memorial, etc., will be posted when we find out about them. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Barickman Posted January 4, 2019 Share #2 Posted January 4, 2019 Wow, terrible news. Met him several times at Chicago shows. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssggates Posted January 4, 2019 Share #3 Posted January 4, 2019 Terrible news. I remember him patiently answering my ignorant questions when I was a brand new collector. He was filled with good advice and knowledge and shared it freely. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamski Posted January 4, 2019 Share #4 Posted January 4, 2019 Sad news indeed. -Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted January 4, 2019 Share #5 Posted January 4, 2019 Its sad when the collecting community loses anyone who is knowledgable and helpful, but is this the same Tom Lane from the Purple Heart website? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share #6 Posted January 4, 2019 Its sad when the collecting community loses anyone who is knowledgable and helpful, but is this the same Tom Lane from the Purple Heart website? Yes, one and the same. He and Ed Maier had the first two (and really, only two) major Purple Heart websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMIN Posted January 4, 2019 Share #7 Posted January 4, 2019 Oh that makes me very sad. Thoughts and prayers are with his family at this tough time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted January 4, 2019 Share #8 Posted January 4, 2019 Yes, one and the same. He and Ed Maier had the first two (and really, only two) major Purple Heart websites. That is truly devestating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mes Posted January 4, 2019 Share #9 Posted January 4, 2019 Very sad news. Tom helped a lot people with his website and his knowledge and his patience with questions. Prayers go out his family and friends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted January 4, 2019 Share #10 Posted January 4, 2019 This is truly a tough loss for anyone lucky enough to know Tom and the collecting community. If you have never visited his Purple Heart site, it is a must for basic education on engraved medals. My fondest memories of Tom stem from SoS over the years discussing photography and medals. One Friday afternoon at SoS I walked a few aisles with him and Kurt Stauffer. I just listened to them talk medals and point out different items on tables. I realized then 1) my level of knowledge in collecting was peanuts, and 2) I was thankful Tom and Kurt gave me opportunity to listen and learn. Will certainly miss him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermanus Posted January 4, 2019 Share #11 Posted January 4, 2019 Terrible news. Over the years I really enjoyed reading his comments. I learned a lot from him. RIP Tom Lane Herman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted January 4, 2019 Share #12 Posted January 4, 2019 Very sad to hear. RIP Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant1942 Posted January 4, 2019 Share #13 Posted January 4, 2019 This is terrible to hear, never talked to him but I’ve heard great things about him via comments on the website. Does anyone have his website? Love to learn more about medal engravings and he definitely sounded like the go to man for discussing medals and engravings. Just a terrible shame to hear this happened Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted January 4, 2019 Share #14 Posted January 4, 2019 Tom will be missed terribly. I first met him in the early 1990's at an OMSA convention in Chicago. He had just started collecting Purple Hearts and we hit it off from there. While our collecting focuses both changed over the years he and I always got together at shows and kept in touch. When he first started collecting his focus was just Purple Hearts and he didn't want groups with "original paperwork" because they took up more space and cost more! He quickly changed his mind and soon went after groups with original paperwork as his primary target. His website followed a few years later. Many of us could fill this thread with Tom stories. He was a fun guy to hang out with, drink with, eat with, and since he was a professional photographer, we enjoyed looking at the photos he took, especially the "non-medal" photos. When I met him, he was the finance guy for a car dealership. It wasn't until he started photography that he found his true passion. Medals took a back seat to photography for him. Once of our biggest adventures was driving from Louisville through Indiana with 6 of us in his car in an major ice storm to try and make it to O'Hare since the Louisville Airport was closed. The ice was so bad we had to scrape ice off the windshield as we drove and bust the ice off the doors to get the door open from the inside. Somehow we all made it alive. He was Irish through and through. You would not catch him drinking Bushmills, only Jameson,. Rest in Peace Tom. We will all miss you. Kurt Tom with Frank Smith at Toms favorite chicken joint in Louisville. The cops and an ambulance were at the motel Tom was staying at next door. Tom going incognito at the SOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decwriter Posted January 4, 2019 Share #15 Posted January 4, 2019 Sad news for sure! I never met him, but bought quite a few items from him when he was ready to sell. He was a gem of a collector and a friendly guy on the forum. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellumbill Posted January 4, 2019 Share #16 Posted January 4, 2019 RIP Mr. Lane - PH website was a go to for me! Bill K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted January 4, 2019 Share #17 Posted January 4, 2019 Wow, this is a tough loss for me as well. I thought the world of Tom and he and I helped each other many times with our collecting interests. I have recounted many times the sheer joy that I felt sitting in the hotel room with Tom and several other collectors as we all shared our goodies. Tom was a gentleman through and through. First Garth, now Tom. For me, the fraternity of collectors have lost a couple of great ones lately. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uniformcollector Posted January 4, 2019 Share #18 Posted January 4, 2019 Never had the pleasure of meeting Tom in person, but as soon as I started going down the path of collecting Purple Hearts (a subject I knew next to nothing about), Tom was right there to help me get into that are of collecting in the best way possible. His drive to share his knowledge with others and his compassion towards many collectors will be missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted January 4, 2019 Share #19 Posted January 4, 2019 Very sad news I knew Tom for many years through OVMS & OMSA and had a tremendous respect for him as a collector and military historian and just a good guy. His outstanding Purple Heart website is a major contribution for understanding and preserving that particular medal. He sold off his remarkable Purple Heart collection within the last 2 years. I wonder now if he was facing his mortality. Rest in Peace, Buddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted January 4, 2019 Share #20 Posted January 4, 2019 One last photo. Taken at the last SOS. L-R , Me, Bob Reichelderfer, Tom , and Frank Smith, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-o MSU Posted January 5, 2019 Share #21 Posted January 5, 2019 Ugh I cant believe this! Terrible. Tom was never anything but nice to me and was always willing to help when I was just starting out. Cant believe I wont be able to talk to him at the SOS this year. I am trying to think of something more poignant to say but I am just stunned. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted January 5, 2019 Share #22 Posted January 5, 2019 Shocked and saddened to hear this. Tom was first class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted January 5, 2019 Share #23 Posted January 5, 2019 RIP...Tom... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted January 5, 2019 Share #24 Posted January 5, 2019 Very sad to hear this. Thoughts and prayers for his family and his friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raidercollector Posted January 6, 2019 Share #25 Posted January 6, 2019 Very sad news to here. Was out of town.Just heard about this. Talk to Tom quit a few times .Sold him one of my Navy cross groups . I use to give him my helper passes at the SOS. Will miss him greatly. RIP Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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