Tommy was born to Donald and Marcella “Sally” Armes March 8, 1943 in San Pedro, CA where his father was working at Bethlehem Steel shipbuilding during WWII. Bonnie followed in August 1944 to complete the family at three girls plus Tommy – his older sisters Mollie and Ruthie were born in Nebraska where their father worked for The International Harvester Co. When Tom was born Ruthie was 5 and Mollie was 7. It was soon clear to the girls that Tommy was their mother’s favorite!
The family moved to California, where the Armes grandparents were living, in early 1942 after the U.S. had entered the war. When WWII ended, Sally felt homesick for the ‘good old days’ in Nebraska. They uprooted in 1947 and moved back ‘home’, with Don managing a dairy farm just outside their birthplace of St Edward. The work was hard, and Don kept his parents back in California entertained with a weekly epistle about “The Girls and the Little Kids” (Mollie & Ruthie, Tommy & Bonnie respectively), comprised of a letter written each Sunday evening; later the family would compile these into an entertaining collection.
There was no kindergarten in St Ed so Tom started first grade Sept. 1948 at only 5-1/2. Bonnie recalls that Tommy had a new pair of overalls for school, and Sally sent him into town (only about a block over the bridge from the dairy farm) to get a haircut with just enough money for a ‘big boy’s haircut’ – buzz cuts were cheaper - and specific instructions, “Don’t get a buzz cut!” But Tommy came back with a buzz cut, because it was less expensive and left him with enough money to buy a set of miniature china dishes for Bonnie.
After two years, Sally and Don had found that ‘you can’t go home again’ and returned to Lomita, CA, where the Armes grandparents still resided. Don opened and was the first manager of Lomita Plaster Company.
Tommy and Bonnie, 18 months apart, adored each other when they weren’t fighting – which was usually the case. Bonnie recalls Tommy usually getting her in trouble, so much so that the folks had to draw a line in the back seat of the car to keep the kids apart. But Tommy usually found a way to torment his little sister, and once Bonnie complained loudly, “Mom! Tommy is breathing on me!” Sally turned around and said sternly: “Tommy! Stop breathing!”
Bonnie recalls that when she and Tommy were fighting, their mother Sally would often ‘solve’ the problem by giving the perpetrator a strong dose of milk of magnesia, as the underlying cause must be constipation. Once in Lomita after a tussle when Bonnie was going to be punished, Sally sent Tommy to the corner grocery store to buy some more milk of magnesia. When Tommy returned with the purchase and turned it over to his Mom, he whispered to Bonnie, “Don’t worry – I got you the mint-flavor!”
Two adults and four kids in a house with one bathroom – it was something of a challenge. Tommy attended school at St. Margaret Mary Grammar School in Lomita, CA. He later graduated from Junipero Serra High School, a Roman Catholic high school in Gardena, CA, a few months after his 17th birthday in 1960. He attended Riverside City College for a semester, and then, on 7 March 1961, the day before his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the US Navy. That date entitled him to what was known as a “kiddy cruise”, with an obligation of only three years rather than the standard four-year commitment. During his time in the Navy, he served as an Electronics Technician, under the rating of ETR2, US Navy. He was honorably discharged in January of 1964.
Upon discharge from active duty, Tommy was transferred into the US Naval Reserve and returned to Harbor City and took courses at Harbor College. He married the former Suzanne Lundeen in August 1965 and they began a family of their own. Suzanne was in college at Marymount, Palos Verdes when Tom returned from the Navy. Their firstborn, Joe, died only a year after his father’s death. Son #2, Pete Armes, is married to Heather and they have three children: Brady and twin girls: Jessica and Megan. Tommy & Suzanne’s daughter, Mary Patrick is married to Brian, and they have two children: Natalie and Joe. The youngest son, Charlie, is married to Moe; they live in Japan and have one son, Tommy. Later, after the kids were grown, Suzanne taught courses in “English as a Second Language” at Garden Grove Unified.
Tommy’s first job after discharge from the Navy was at Alcoa in LA. There, he became a time study, or efficiency expert. Ruthie recalls Tommy giving her a tour of the plant and she was fascinated to see the manufacturing line pumping out nails and screws. From there, Tommy moved to a new position with National Lumber. It was here that his teaching abilities began to shine.
Tommy was working at National Lumber when he met Gilbert Torres in 1974. There, Tommy developed and taught courses in Plumbing and Electrical, while Gilbert did the same with courses in Lumber – how to use the products the customers were purchasing. The two of them were recruited to work at a newly created “HomeCo” in Lakewood shortly thereafter. That enterprise closed in 1978 and Tommy began work for his father Don at Lomita Plaster. Gilbert joined him about two months later.
Tommy learned about the job at Don Bosco Tech from an ad in the newspaper. When he applied in 1989, he was hired to teach construction courses, but he was told that he would need to finish his Bachelor's Degree, and it was then that he began going to school at night. He worked toward and completed his degree at CSU Long Beach while simultaneously teaching at Bosco Tech.
Bonnie was told by her mother Sally of many innovative techniques that Tommy used to motivate his students, especially those who came from more disadvantageous backgrounds. Tommy was upset to hear that some of the students were stealing from others. He set up a petty cash drawer and told his students “Don’t steal from one another. If you need money, come get it from this drawer – just leave an I.O.U. note for the amount and pay it back as soon as you can.”
Sometimes on test days when Tommy noticed that the students were stressed, he’d command, “Pencils down!” Then he would tell them a joke – often a bit off-color. Once they were relaxed and laughing, he would start up the test again. On more than one occasion when he saw that the students were really struggling with a test, he would announce: “Look, I really didn’t do a good enough job teaching about Question #10. The correct answer is ‘C’. “
On Fridays, “Mr. Armes” insisted that his students wear a shirt with a collar and a tie. He wanted them prepared for job interviews later in life. When the kids balked, Tom would tell them that they could obtain a shirt at Goodwill for fifty cents and a tie for a quarter. To ‘sweeten the deal’, every Friday Tommy would hold an “Ugly Tie Contest” – the winner would receive some candy, always a favorite of his. His goal was to make sure each boy knew how to properly tie a necktie. At Tommy’s funeral in 1994, many of his students filed by and dropped some candy into his casket. Some former gang members wore ‘traditional’ black T-shirts with white Gothic lettering: “In Loving Memory of Mr. Armes”.
Following the funeral, Tommy’s widow Suzanne was approached by more than one young man who handed her an envelope and said something along the lines of, “Mr. Armes loaned me money for my car insurance, and I want to pay it back.” Suzanne soon received [and keeps to this day] a plethora of letters and notes from former students with heartfelt appreciation of what Mr. Armes did for them. Tom was an active member of AA and was a mentor to many – including some in the Don Bosco family.
The Armes family wants to honor the memory of our prematurely deceased brother, husband, father and grandfather by establishing the Thomas Eugene Armes Endowment Scholarship Fund to help further the goals important to Tommy during his career with Don Bosco Tech. To Tommy it was important that students develop a sense of self-worth and self-confidence; knowing they’d leave Don Bosco Tech with the practical skills necessary for employment in the construction industry. Tommy felt strongly that students given a strong education in moral values along with employable skills would develop into fine young men who would lead productive and responsible lives and be a credit to their families and an asset to their communities.
Updated as of 19 February 2019, 9 am MST
Military Information: ETR2, US NAVY
The family moved to California, where the Armes grandparents were living, in early 1942 after the U.S. had entered the war. When WWII ended, Sally felt homesick for the ‘good old days’ in Nebraska. They uprooted in 1947 and moved back ‘home’, with Don managing a dairy farm just outside their birthplace of St Edward. The work was hard, and Don kept his parents back in California entertained with a weekly epistle about “The Girls and the Little Kids” (Mollie & Ruthie, Tommy & Bonnie respectively), comprised of a letter written each Sunday evening; later the family would compile these into an entertaining collection.
There was no kindergarten in St Ed so Tom started first grade Sept. 1948 at only 5-1/2. Bonnie recalls that Tommy had a new pair of overalls for school, and Sally sent him into town (only about a block over the bridge from the dairy farm) to get a haircut with just enough money for a ‘big boy’s haircut’ – buzz cuts were cheaper - and specific instructions, “Don’t get a buzz cut!” But Tommy came back with a buzz cut, because it was less expensive and left him with enough money to buy a set of miniature china dishes for Bonnie.
After two years, Sally and Don had found that ‘you can’t go home again’ and returned to Lomita, CA, where the Armes grandparents still resided. Don opened and was the first manager of Lomita Plaster Company.
Tommy and Bonnie, 18 months apart, adored each other when they weren’t fighting – which was usually the case. Bonnie recalls Tommy usually getting her in trouble, so much so that the folks had to draw a line in the back seat of the car to keep the kids apart. But Tommy usually found a way to torment his little sister, and once Bonnie complained loudly, “Mom! Tommy is breathing on me!” Sally turned around and said sternly: “Tommy! Stop breathing!”
Bonnie recalls that when she and Tommy were fighting, their mother Sally would often ‘solve’ the problem by giving the perpetrator a strong dose of milk of magnesia, as the underlying cause must be constipation. Once in Lomita after a tussle when Bonnie was going to be punished, Sally sent Tommy to the corner grocery store to buy some more milk of magnesia. When Tommy returned with the purchase and turned it over to his Mom, he whispered to Bonnie, “Don’t worry – I got you the mint-flavor!”
Two adults and four kids in a house with one bathroom – it was something of a challenge. Tommy attended school at St. Margaret Mary Grammar School in Lomita, CA. He later graduated from Junipero Serra High School, a Roman Catholic high school in Gardena, CA, a few months after his 17th birthday in 1960. He attended Riverside City College for a semester, and then, on 7 March 1961, the day before his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the US Navy. That date entitled him to what was known as a “kiddy cruise”, with an obligation of only three years rather than the standard four-year commitment. During his time in the Navy, he served as an Electronics Technician, under the rating of ETR2, US Navy. He was honorably discharged in January of 1964.
Upon discharge from active duty, Tommy was transferred into the US Naval Reserve and returned to Harbor City and took courses at Harbor College. He married the former Suzanne Lundeen in August 1965 and they began a family of their own. Suzanne was in college at Marymount, Palos Verdes when Tom returned from the Navy. Their firstborn, Joe, died only a year after his father’s death. Son #2, Pete Armes, is married to Heather and they have three children: Brady and twin girls: Jessica and Megan. Tommy & Suzanne’s daughter, Mary Patrick is married to Brian, and they have two children: Natalie and Joe. The youngest son, Charlie, is married to Moe; they live in Japan and have one son, Tommy. Later, after the kids were grown, Suzanne taught courses in “English as a Second Language” at Garden Grove Unified.
Tommy’s first job after discharge from the Navy was at Alcoa in LA. There, he became a time study, or efficiency expert. Ruthie recalls Tommy giving her a tour of the plant and she was fascinated to see the manufacturing line pumping out nails and screws. From there, Tommy moved to a new position with National Lumber. It was here that his teaching abilities began to shine.
Tommy was working at National Lumber when he met Gilbert Torres in 1974. There, Tommy developed and taught courses in Plumbing and Electrical, while Gilbert did the same with courses in Lumber – how to use the products the customers were purchasing. The two of them were recruited to work at a newly created “HomeCo” in Lakewood shortly thereafter. That enterprise closed in 1978 and Tommy began work for his father Don at Lomita Plaster. Gilbert joined him about two months later.
Tommy learned about the job at Don Bosco Tech from an ad in the newspaper. When he applied in 1989, he was hired to teach construction courses, but he was told that he would need to finish his Bachelor's Degree, and it was then that he began going to school at night. He worked toward and completed his degree at CSU Long Beach while simultaneously teaching at Bosco Tech.
Bonnie was told by her mother Sally of many innovative techniques that Tommy used to motivate his students, especially those who came from more disadvantageous backgrounds. Tommy was upset to hear that some of the students were stealing from others. He set up a petty cash drawer and told his students “Don’t steal from one another. If you need money, come get it from this drawer – just leave an I.O.U. note for the amount and pay it back as soon as you can.”
Sometimes on test days when Tommy noticed that the students were stressed, he’d command, “Pencils down!” Then he would tell them a joke – often a bit off-color. Once they were relaxed and laughing, he would start up the test again. On more than one occasion when he saw that the students were really struggling with a test, he would announce: “Look, I really didn’t do a good enough job teaching about Question #10. The correct answer is ‘C’. “
On Fridays, “Mr. Armes” insisted that his students wear a shirt with a collar and a tie. He wanted them prepared for job interviews later in life. When the kids balked, Tom would tell them that they could obtain a shirt at Goodwill for fifty cents and a tie for a quarter. To ‘sweeten the deal’, every Friday Tommy would hold an “Ugly Tie Contest” – the winner would receive some candy, always a favorite of his. His goal was to make sure each boy knew how to properly tie a necktie. At Tommy’s funeral in 1994, many of his students filed by and dropped some candy into his casket. Some former gang members wore ‘traditional’ black T-shirts with white Gothic lettering: “In Loving Memory of Mr. Armes”.
Following the funeral, Tommy’s widow Suzanne was approached by more than one young man who handed her an envelope and said something along the lines of, “Mr. Armes loaned me money for my car insurance, and I want to pay it back.” Suzanne soon received [and keeps to this day] a plethora of letters and notes from former students with heartfelt appreciation of what Mr. Armes did for them. Tom was an active member of AA and was a mentor to many – including some in the Don Bosco family.
The Armes family wants to honor the memory of our prematurely deceased brother, husband, father and grandfather by establishing the Thomas Eugene Armes Endowment Scholarship Fund to help further the goals important to Tommy during his career with Don Bosco Tech. To Tommy it was important that students develop a sense of self-worth and self-confidence; knowing they’d leave Don Bosco Tech with the practical skills necessary for employment in the construction industry. Tommy felt strongly that students given a strong education in moral values along with employable skills would develop into fine young men who would lead productive and responsible lives and be a credit to their families and an asset to their communities.
Updated as of 19 February 2019, 9 am MST
Military Information: ETR2, US NAVY
Tommy was born to Donald and Marcella “Sally” Armes March 8, 1943 in San Pedro, CA where his father was working at Bethlehem Steel shipbuilding during WWII. Bonnie followed in August 1944 to complete the family at three girls plus Tommy – his older sisters Mollie and Ruthie were born in Nebraska where their father worked for The International Harvester Co. When Tom was born Ruthie was 5 and Mollie was 7. It was soon clear to the girls that Tommy was their mother’s favorite!
The family moved to California, where the Armes grandparents were living, in early 1942 after the U.S. had entered the war. When WWII ended, Sally felt homesick for the ‘good old days’ in Nebraska. They uprooted in 1947 and moved back ‘home’, with Don managing a dairy farm just outside their birthplace of St Edward. The work was hard, and Don kept his parents back in California entertained with a weekly epistle about “The Girls and the Little Kids” (Mollie & Ruthie, Tommy & Bonnie respectively), comprised of a letter written each Sunday evening; later the family would compile these into an entertaining collection.
There was no kindergarten in St Ed so Tom started first grade Sept. 1948 at only 5-1/2. Bonnie recalls that Tommy had a new pair of overalls for school, and Sally sent him into town (only about a block over the bridge from the dairy farm) to get a haircut with just enough money for a ‘big boy’s haircut’ – buzz cuts were cheaper - and specific instructions, “Don’t get a buzz cut!” But Tommy came back with a buzz cut, because it was less expensive and left him with enough money to buy a set of miniature china dishes for Bonnie.
After two years, Sally and Don had found that ‘you can’t go home again’ and returned to Lomita, CA, where the Armes grandparents still resided. Don opened and was the first manager of Lomita Plaster Company.
Tommy and Bonnie, 18 months apart, adored each other when they weren’t fighting – which was usually the case. Bonnie recalls Tommy usually getting her in trouble, so much so that the folks had to draw a line in the back seat of the car to keep the kids apart. But Tommy usually found a way to torment his little sister, and once Bonnie complained loudly, “Mom! Tommy is breathing on me!” Sally turned around and said sternly: “Tommy! Stop breathing!”
Bonnie recalls that when she and Tommy were fighting, their mother Sally would often ‘solve’ the problem by giving the perpetrator a strong dose of milk of magnesia, as the underlying cause must be constipation. Once in Lomita after a tussle when Bonnie was going to be punished, Sally sent Tommy to the corner grocery store to buy some more milk of magnesia. When Tommy returned with the purchase and turned it over to his Mom, he whispered to Bonnie, “Don’t worry – I got you the mint-flavor!”
Two adults and four kids in a house with one bathroom – it was something of a challenge. Tommy attended school at St. Margaret Mary Grammar School in Lomita, CA. He later graduated from Junipero Serra High School, a Roman Catholic high school in Gardena, CA, a few months after his 17th birthday in 1960. He attended Riverside City College for a semester, and then, on 7 March 1961, the day before his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the US Navy. That date entitled him to what was known as a “kiddy cruise”, with an obligation of only three years rather than the standard four-year commitment. During his time in the Navy, he served as an Electronics Technician, under the rating of ETR2, US Navy. He was honorably discharged in January of 1964.
Upon discharge from active duty, Tommy was transferred into the US Naval Reserve and returned to Harbor City and took courses at Harbor College. He married the former Suzanne Lundeen in August 1965 and they began a family of their own. Suzanne was in college at Marymount, Palos Verdes when Tom returned from the Navy. Their firstborn, Joe, died only a year after his father’s death. Son #2, Pete Armes, is married to Heather and they have three children: Brady and twin girls: Jessica and Megan. Tommy & Suzanne’s daughter, Mary Patrick is married to Brian, and they have two children: Natalie and Joe. The youngest son, Charlie, is married to Moe; they live in Japan and have one son, Tommy. Later, after the kids were grown, Suzanne taught courses in “English as a Second Language” at Garden Grove Unified.
Tommy’s first job after discharge from the Navy was at Alcoa in LA. There, he became a time study, or efficiency expert. Ruthie recalls Tommy giving her a tour of the plant and she was fascinated to see the manufacturing line pumping out nails and screws. From there, Tommy moved to a new position with National Lumber. It was here that his teaching abilities began to shine.
Tommy was working at National Lumber when he met Gilbert Torres in 1974. There, Tommy developed and taught courses in Plumbing and Electrical, while Gilbert did the same with courses in Lumber – how to use the products the customers were purchasing. The two of them were recruited to work at a newly created “HomeCo” in Lakewood shortly thereafter. That enterprise closed in 1978 and Tommy began work for his father Don at Lomita Plaster. Gilbert joined him about two months later.
Tommy learned about the job at Don Bosco Tech from an ad in the newspaper. When he applied in 1989, he was hired to teach construction courses, but he was told that he would need to finish his Bachelor's Degree, and it was then that he began going to school at night. He worked toward and completed his degree at CSU Long Beach while simultaneously teaching at Bosco Tech.
Bonnie was told by her mother Sally of many innovative techniques that Tommy used to motivate his students, especially those who came from more disadvantageous backgrounds. Tommy was upset to hear that some of the students were stealing from others. He set up a petty cash drawer and told his students “Don’t steal from one another. If you need money, come get it from this drawer – just leave an I.O.U. note for the amount and pay it back as soon as you can.”
Sometimes on test days when Tommy noticed that the students were stressed, he’d command, “Pencils down!” Then he would tell them a joke – often a bit off-color. Once they were relaxed and laughing, he would start up the test again. On more than one occasion when he saw that the students were really struggling with a test, he would announce: “Look, I really didn’t do a good enough job teaching about Question #10. The correct answer is ‘C’. “
On Fridays, “Mr. Armes” insisted that his students wear a shirt with a collar and a tie. He wanted them prepared for job interviews later in life. When the kids balked, Tom would tell them that they could obtain a shirt at Goodwill for fifty cents and a tie for a quarter. To ‘sweeten the deal’, every Friday Tommy would hold an “Ugly Tie Contest” – the winner would receive some candy, always a favorite of his. His goal was to make sure each boy knew how to properly tie a necktie. At Tommy’s funeral in 1994, many of his students filed by and dropped some candy into his casket. Some former gang members wore ‘traditional’ black T-shirts with white Gothic lettering: “In Loving Memory of Mr. Armes”.
Following the funeral, Tommy’s widow Suzanne was approached by more than one young man who handed her an envelope and said something along the lines of, “Mr. Armes loaned me money for my car insurance, and I want to pay it back.” Suzanne soon received [and keeps to this day] a plethora of letters and notes from former students with heartfelt appreciation of what Mr. Armes did for them. Tom was an active member of AA and was a mentor to many – including some in the Don Bosco family.
The Armes family wants to honor the memory of our prematurely deceased brother, husband, father and grandfather by establishing the Thomas Eugene Armes Endowment Scholarship Fund to help further the goals important to Tommy during his career with Don Bosco Tech. To Tommy it was important that students develop a sense of self-worth and self-confidence; knowing they’d leave Don Bosco Tech with the practical skills necessary for employment in the construction industry. Tommy felt strongly that students given a strong education in moral values along with employable skills would develop into fine young men who would lead productive and responsible lives and be a credit to their families and an asset to their communities.
Updated as of 19 February 2019, 9 am MST
Military Information: ETR2, US NAVY
The family moved to California, where the Armes grandparents were living, in early 1942 after the U.S. had entered the war. When WWII ended, Sally felt homesick for the ‘good old days’ in Nebraska. They uprooted in 1947 and moved back ‘home’, with Don managing a dairy farm just outside their birthplace of St Edward. The work was hard, and Don kept his parents back in California entertained with a weekly epistle about “The Girls and the Little Kids” (Mollie & Ruthie, Tommy & Bonnie respectively), comprised of a letter written each Sunday evening; later the family would compile these into an entertaining collection.
There was no kindergarten in St Ed so Tom started first grade Sept. 1948 at only 5-1/2. Bonnie recalls that Tommy had a new pair of overalls for school, and Sally sent him into town (only about a block over the bridge from the dairy farm) to get a haircut with just enough money for a ‘big boy’s haircut’ – buzz cuts were cheaper - and specific instructions, “Don’t get a buzz cut!” But Tommy came back with a buzz cut, because it was less expensive and left him with enough money to buy a set of miniature china dishes for Bonnie.
After two years, Sally and Don had found that ‘you can’t go home again’ and returned to Lomita, CA, where the Armes grandparents still resided. Don opened and was the first manager of Lomita Plaster Company.
Tommy and Bonnie, 18 months apart, adored each other when they weren’t fighting – which was usually the case. Bonnie recalls Tommy usually getting her in trouble, so much so that the folks had to draw a line in the back seat of the car to keep the kids apart. But Tommy usually found a way to torment his little sister, and once Bonnie complained loudly, “Mom! Tommy is breathing on me!” Sally turned around and said sternly: “Tommy! Stop breathing!”
Bonnie recalls that when she and Tommy were fighting, their mother Sally would often ‘solve’ the problem by giving the perpetrator a strong dose of milk of magnesia, as the underlying cause must be constipation. Once in Lomita after a tussle when Bonnie was going to be punished, Sally sent Tommy to the corner grocery store to buy some more milk of magnesia. When Tommy returned with the purchase and turned it over to his Mom, he whispered to Bonnie, “Don’t worry – I got you the mint-flavor!”
Two adults and four kids in a house with one bathroom – it was something of a challenge. Tommy attended school at St. Margaret Mary Grammar School in Lomita, CA. He later graduated from Junipero Serra High School, a Roman Catholic high school in Gardena, CA, a few months after his 17th birthday in 1960. He attended Riverside City College for a semester, and then, on 7 March 1961, the day before his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the US Navy. That date entitled him to what was known as a “kiddy cruise”, with an obligation of only three years rather than the standard four-year commitment. During his time in the Navy, he served as an Electronics Technician, under the rating of ETR2, US Navy. He was honorably discharged in January of 1964.
Upon discharge from active duty, Tommy was transferred into the US Naval Reserve and returned to Harbor City and took courses at Harbor College. He married the former Suzanne Lundeen in August 1965 and they began a family of their own. Suzanne was in college at Marymount, Palos Verdes when Tom returned from the Navy. Their firstborn, Joe, died only a year after his father’s death. Son #2, Pete Armes, is married to Heather and they have three children: Brady and twin girls: Jessica and Megan. Tommy & Suzanne’s daughter, Mary Patrick is married to Brian, and they have two children: Natalie and Joe. The youngest son, Charlie, is married to Moe; they live in Japan and have one son, Tommy. Later, after the kids were grown, Suzanne taught courses in “English as a Second Language” at Garden Grove Unified.
Tommy’s first job after discharge from the Navy was at Alcoa in LA. There, he became a time study, or efficiency expert. Ruthie recalls Tommy giving her a tour of the plant and she was fascinated to see the manufacturing line pumping out nails and screws. From there, Tommy moved to a new position with National Lumber. It was here that his teaching abilities began to shine.
Tommy was working at National Lumber when he met Gilbert Torres in 1974. There, Tommy developed and taught courses in Plumbing and Electrical, while Gilbert did the same with courses in Lumber – how to use the products the customers were purchasing. The two of them were recruited to work at a newly created “HomeCo” in Lakewood shortly thereafter. That enterprise closed in 1978 and Tommy began work for his father Don at Lomita Plaster. Gilbert joined him about two months later.
Tommy learned about the job at Don Bosco Tech from an ad in the newspaper. When he applied in 1989, he was hired to teach construction courses, but he was told that he would need to finish his Bachelor's Degree, and it was then that he began going to school at night. He worked toward and completed his degree at CSU Long Beach while simultaneously teaching at Bosco Tech.
Bonnie was told by her mother Sally of many innovative techniques that Tommy used to motivate his students, especially those who came from more disadvantageous backgrounds. Tommy was upset to hear that some of the students were stealing from others. He set up a petty cash drawer and told his students “Don’t steal from one another. If you need money, come get it from this drawer – just leave an I.O.U. note for the amount and pay it back as soon as you can.”
Sometimes on test days when Tommy noticed that the students were stressed, he’d command, “Pencils down!” Then he would tell them a joke – often a bit off-color. Once they were relaxed and laughing, he would start up the test again. On more than one occasion when he saw that the students were really struggling with a test, he would announce: “Look, I really didn’t do a good enough job teaching about Question #10. The correct answer is ‘C’. “
On Fridays, “Mr. Armes” insisted that his students wear a shirt with a collar and a tie. He wanted them prepared for job interviews later in life. When the kids balked, Tom would tell them that they could obtain a shirt at Goodwill for fifty cents and a tie for a quarter. To ‘sweeten the deal’, every Friday Tommy would hold an “Ugly Tie Contest” – the winner would receive some candy, always a favorite of his. His goal was to make sure each boy knew how to properly tie a necktie. At Tommy’s funeral in 1994, many of his students filed by and dropped some candy into his casket. Some former gang members wore ‘traditional’ black T-shirts with white Gothic lettering: “In Loving Memory of Mr. Armes”.
Following the funeral, Tommy’s widow Suzanne was approached by more than one young man who handed her an envelope and said something along the lines of, “Mr. Armes loaned me money for my car insurance, and I want to pay it back.” Suzanne soon received [and keeps to this day] a plethora of letters and notes from former students with heartfelt appreciation of what Mr. Armes did for them. Tom was an active member of AA and was a mentor to many – including some in the Don Bosco family.
The Armes family wants to honor the memory of our prematurely deceased brother, husband, father and grandfather by establishing the Thomas Eugene Armes Endowment Scholarship Fund to help further the goals important to Tommy during his career with Don Bosco Tech. To Tommy it was important that students develop a sense of self-worth and self-confidence; knowing they’d leave Don Bosco Tech with the practical skills necessary for employment in the construction industry. Tommy felt strongly that students given a strong education in moral values along with employable skills would develop into fine young men who would lead productive and responsible lives and be a credit to their families and an asset to their communities.
Updated as of 19 February 2019, 9 am MST
Military Information: ETR2, US NAVY
Inscription
inscription reads:
THOMAS EUGENE ARMES
ETR2 U S NAVY
LOVING SON HUSBAND DAD PAPA
