Longtime Benicia resident, Tom Gavin passed away November 30th, 2022, at the age of 70, after a battle with cancer.
Originally from Chicago, he moved to Vallejo at age 16 and lived in Benicia for the past 37 years. In that time, he became a valued member of the Benicia community.
Tom was a member of the first graduating class of St. Patrick’s High School in Vallejo, and the school’s first Student Body President. He was inducted into the St. Patrick-St. Vincent Hall of Fame in 1999. A graduate of UC Davis, he followed in his father’s footsteps, employed as a sales agent for New York Life Insurance. He was a partner of Gavin and Schreiner Insurance Services, winner of the Spirit of Solano Award and twice named Benicia Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.
Tom was valuable to our community in the many ways he gave back to it.
Instrumental in the establishment of the Benicia Main Street Program, he served as its president and board director, in addition to being a member for 42 years. He was honored to serve as the Grand Marshall of Benicia Main Street’s third of July Parade this last summer. Tom was also president and board director of the Chamber of Commerce and a member of the organization for 41 years and served as president of the Benicia Rotary Club, of which he was a member for 36 years. Tom served as Treasurer of the Benicia Library Foundation, as Chairman of the St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School Board of Regents, as a board member for the Downtown Business Alliance, and as the first Chairman of the Board for Solano Bank. He mentored students at Liberty High School and coached youth basketball and softball. He was also a City Council candidate in 1987.
A longtime, active member of St. Dominic’s Parish, Tom co-chaired the Capital Campaign in1990 to retrofit the church and build a parish hall. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother, he is survived by his wife of 45 years, Patty, as well as his two daughters, Meghan (Josh) and Lauren (Paul), and his grandchildren, Brynn, Delaney, and Xavier. He is also survived by his seven siblings and a slew of nieces and nephews. A humble man, of principle and integrity, Tom was known for his kind, gentle, and generous spirit who gave unselfishly to his family, friends and strangers. Having touched the lives of so many, Tom Gavin is missed, and his memory lives on.
