Obituaries

Funeral Set for Severn Teacher Killed in Crash

Thomas Patrick Heslin, Jr. died July 17.

Obituary courtesy of Barranco and Sons Funeral Home in Severna Park. To leave online condolences, click here.

Thomas Patrick "Doc" Heslin, Jr, beloved husband, father, teacher and friend, died July 17 in a bicycle accident. Tom, an 18-year resident of Severna Park, recently celebrated his 32nd wedding anniversary with his wife, Cynthia (née Romer), 56. He was the proud father of two sons, Michael, 26, and Andrew, 24.

Tom was a popular, passionate and highly respected Latin teacher and coach at Severn School in Severna Park for 27 years. He used his sense of humor, empathy, sharp intellect and love of life to inspire generations of students. He coached swimming and golf at Severn for a total of 75 seasons with over 100 wins in each sport. In May, Tom was proud to be inducted into Severn School's Athletic Hall of Fame. He previously taught at Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills.

Tom directed Severn School's Italian Club and Italian Exchange program, combining his love for teaching, travel, Classics, and the Latin and Italian languages. In June, he enjoyed a trip with his wife, Cindy to Tuscany and Rome.

Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Tom was born on August 13, 1955 in Hartford, CT, the son of Thomas P., Sr. and Mary Mazurek Heslin. He earned his B.A. in Classics at Trinity College in Hartford and his Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of Connecticut.

Tom developed Type 1 Diabetes at age 8. He survived and thrived after undergoing two organ transplants, heart bypass surgery and four toe amputations. He appreciated every new day of his life and faced every day with hope, optimism and determination.

Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He was preceded in death by his father and his sister, Joanne P. Heslin Laverty. In addition to his wife and sons, he is survived by his mother, his brother, John W. Heslin, his sister, Mary Ellen Heslin Taub, his future daughter-in-law, Breanna Hockenbury, and seven nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to a memorial visitation at Barranco & Sons, P.A. Severna Park Funeral home on Sunday, July 21st from 1-4:00pm. A Memorial Mass will be offered on Monday, July 22nd at 10:00am at St. John the Evangelist Church in Severna Park with a reception to follow at the Berrywood Community Clubhouse.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, the National Kidney Foundation, or the American Heart Association.


See Also:



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here