Tom Weston ’64

For Tom Weston ’64, the path through life hasn’t followed a straight line — but it’s been full of meaning, connection and a lot of adventure.

 

Shortly after beginning college, Tom flunked out. It was a moment that changed everything. “I knew I was going to end up in the military,” he says. “So I joined the Navy.” What followed was a life-altering assignment as a linguist in Vietnam, flying reconnaissance missions out of Da Nang. “I had taken Latin with Mr. Gale at Gilmour, and when I took the language aptitude test, I recognized what I was looking at. I just started thinking in Latin.” His linguistic skill set his trajectory and the war sharpened his perspective. “There was a day I thought we were going to crash, and I was absolutely sure I was going to die. After that, I’ve tried to treat every day as a gift.”

 

Even when he “failed” — washing out of his first FAA placement — Tom kept moving forward. He worked across several branches of air traffic control, from towers to flight service, eventually retiring after decades in the field. At that point, Tom started fresh again, this time at Trader Joe’s. “I don’t need to work,” he says, “but I love it. I get to hang out with people in their 20s and build real friendships with them. It’s not something you see often across generations.”

 

For all the variety in his résumé, a few things have remained constants: motorcycles, friendships and a belief in helping others. He’s been riding since the Navy and even traveled cross- country to his 50th Gilmour reunion by bike. He’s also a certified massage therapist and someone his friends have always known they can count on. “I’ve been in some pretty heavy moments with people I care about. I like being the guy who shows up.”

 

Looking back, Tom credits Gilmour with giving him the foundation to navigate a complex world. “I wasn’t a standout student, but the rigor was there. Latin, English with Mr. Schubert — those classes taught me how to think. It stayed with me.”

 

When asked for advice for today’s students, he keeps it simple: “Be there for your friends. If they need you, show up. It makes all the difference.”