Bard’s passing had gentle touch

I learned of the death of my friend Tom Wobker, the Bard of Sherman Avenue, on the first day of my recent vacation, April 23. Fittingly, Tom died that morning, on the purported 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. Tom’s wife, Sharon, emailed: “In keeping with the poet that he was, his breath quietly paused just at that time before dawn when the birds start singing.” Tom asked his wife not to have a funeral service for him. Seems he felt that “the Bard Reveal” at the annual Blogfest for Huckleberries Online was tribute enough. At the Feb. 20 event, Tom was revealed as the poet behind the short rhymes that had pleased followers of this column and the Huckleberries blog for 14 years. A few days later, he emailed me: “(The Blogfest) had more impact on me than I ever expected. You had told me, but I certainly discounted, the affection many people have for these odd little rhymes. It almost gives me a feeling that this is a calling for me and a reason to keep pushing on as a benefit to others; hope that doesn’t sound too grandiose.” My talented, gentle friend didn’t realize what a blessing he was to us readers. Huckleberries Online and this column will begin rerunning Tom’s poems. What would Huckleberries be without The Bard’s sweet poetry?/DFO, Sunday Huckleberries, SR. More here .