Anniversary of the loss of a great friend
 

9-11 holds some terrible memories for many of us, but I would like to take a moment to recognize the anniversary of the loss of Tom Newby. He was a great friend who had incredible talent and a wonderful taste for Vodka. Every boating magazine that I read is a reminder of the loss to is friends, family and the industry. While his skill behind teh camera was well documented, his humor and friendship is continually missed.

To those of you that have fond memories of Tom, tonight would be a great night to order a Vodka martini as you prepare for another weekend of boating.

Bob Christie

Godspeed to Tom on this saddest of days.

Wow, I cant believe its been a year already! I was lucky enough to work a few Baja photoshoots with Tom. Nice guy is an understatement. :ernaehrung004: To Tom!

God Bless Tom Newby.........he was a true gentleman!

I'll never forget having lunch with him and Brett Becker during a dreary, rainy day at the 2003 Atlantic City Poker Run. I don't know if I've ever laughed that hard, or had as much trouble getting my food down. Great, great guy. I'm glad that I had that small amount of time with him.

I had the privilege of meeting him briefly at the Shootout in August of last year. He was standing on the deck of the black factory F-4 Sunsation. I asked Joe S. if that was him and he said yes. Later when he came back by to tell the Sunsation Boys bye I introduced myself, shook his hand, and told him how much I enjoyed his work. I was shocked that just a few weeks later he was gone. RIP.

Bob, Tom A., Dave P. and all the rest of you whose lives were touched by Tom,

Tom genuinely enjoyed and befriended many of the people he came into contact with through his work. He was a great, perhaps even the greatest, guy to sit down with for a drink (Grey Goose martini, three olives, extra dry, extra cold) at the end of a long day of what we call "work." He was smart, loved to talk and was highly opinionated. In agreement or argument, he was pure fun.

Above my desk is the picture he took for the September 11, 2001 memorial poster. The World Trade Centers were still standing and Tom Newby was still very much alive.

The world has changed since then. It isn't a bad place, in fact it can be quite wonderful. But it is ... diminished. As a nation, we shared a common loss on Sept. 11, 2001. As a family of high-performance boaters, we shared a common loss on Sept. 11, 2007. The two are not comparable. Yet both are tragic.

Wherever Tom is, whatever you believe about the hereafter, I can promise you this: Tom's Grey Goose martini is ice cold.

M

Amen.

R.I.P

On Speed yesterday afternoon, they showed the 2007 Shootout and dedicated the episode in memory of Tom.