by Marty Forbes
August 20, 2024
This is a tough one to write. The fact that it’s Radio Day helps…a bit.
It’s with extreme sadness that I let you know that Tom Tompkins passed away of cancer a few days ago. Our lives, and friendship, have been aligned for over five decades.
I’ve hired him. He’s hired me.
When I left Edmonton Tom replaced me and we also worked in Standard together.
Tom was proudly the most unfiltered human being I’ve ever met. You always knew what Tom was thinking because he told you. Often it was uncomfortable but nothing was ever said behind your back.
We had more fun in the Top 40 days at CKXL and then at CJAY then you can ever imagine.
Far too many things to write but highlights include accidentally setting his office on fire…listening one night as he tried to interview Styx after they all had consumed too much alcohol…peeing out the door of the bus back from the annual Moffat Cup baseball game…crazy ski trips…being wrapped in toilet paper from head to toe at an office party (how I found him on our office floor the next morning)…well you know what I mean.
We fought like cats and dogs about our sports teams. His nickname for me was ‘Fartface’ which always made me laugh because he was also one of just a handful of friends that could comfortably call me ‘Mart!’
Tom was huge in helping move Country Music ahead in Canada. Ditto advancing AOR radio. Artists loved him.
He was great at teaching young talent at all levels.
Beyond all Tom was a true character and enriched my life immeasurably.
Fortunately I talked with him just a month or so ago and – to no surprise – he never mentioned the disease. That was Tom.
He did leave me with the perfect comment to never forget him on the call.
“Mart I got fired for sexual harassment before it was cool!”
There will never ever be another Tom Tompkins in my life.
They broke the mold. Probably a good idea.
RIP my friend. Oh the stories we could tell.
……
I met Tom 47 years ago at CKXL and I was pretty green. As Marty said, he was a true original.
You always knew where you stood, sometimes directly in the line of fire. He hired me to be the first morning man at CJAY, but Daryl B called and I ended up going to CFUN instead. I’ve often wondered how things might have worked out had I decided to stay in Calgary. I know this though; I would have learned an awful lot working for Tom. Tom later hired me at Pelmorex but after that, apart from a few texts and FB posts, I never saw him again. As Marty said, he had no filter…thank God for that. RIP to a legend