Tom's mother says some of his first words were "see the moon!" as he pointed skyward. That is probably where his interest in space began. Tom grew up in the famously cloudy Seattle area, despite the clouds, he has built and enjoyed astrophotography in his backyard observatory. In summer of 2018, Tom moved to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where he is enjoying the darker Wisconsin skies and has built his third backyard observatory. Formerly, Tom worked part-time at the Greer Planetarium at Bellevue College where he gave monthly shows. In Wisconsin, he is Vice President of Door Peninsula Astronomical Society in Sturgeon Bay and helps operate the club observatory's 16-inch telescope as well as giving planetarium shows around the area. On cloudy nights, he enjoys movies, electronics, model aircraft, and sailing. As a Solar System Ambassador, he enjoys introducing people to the wonders of the night sky.