MCINTYRE, Thomas Charles "Tom"
Thomas Charles McIntyre died May 3, 2023, after a brief illness. Born December 23, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts, he was the son of Charles McIntyre and Cecelia McIntyre. He is survived by his wife, Valrie McIntyre; son, Joseph McIntyre; daughter-in-law, Erin McIntyre; and brother, Daniel McIntyre of Boston. His eldest son, Matthew, who died of cancer in 2014, was the father of Tom's four grandchildren, Jude, Anna Ruth, Liam and Elizabeth. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his sister, Kathleen McIntyre of Boston.
Tom grew up in Roslindale, Massachusetts, and graduated from Boston College High School. He attended Holy Cross College and did his graduate work at Tufts. A lifelong learner, he never stopped going to school, and later earned his PhD from Georgia State University. While at Tufts, he met his first wife, Erminia, in the Classics program. They were married in 1970. He took a job in Atlanta, at The Westminster Schools in 1972, teaching English, Latin, and Western Civilization. In 1983, he took a position as principal of Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, CA. After five years at Sacred Heart, Tom became assistant headmaster and head of the Upper School at Pace Academy in Atlanta. In 1992, he returned to teaching at Riverwood High School where he taught Latin, German, French, English and Mathematics. He later started the International Baccalaureate program, and taught Economics, and also Theory of Knowledge, which gave him perhaps his greatest academic fulfillment.
Tom was adamant that he was, at his core, a schoolteacher. He was a genuine light for any curious and dedicated student. He imparted not merely knowledge, but an intellectual process and rigor that he believed in with a contagious moral clarity. His students knew that his classroom was much more than the title or subject matter listed in the syllabus. The true subject was a life of the mind that could be applied with equal enthusiasm to football or David Hume.
In 1993, his first wife Erminia died. He diligently parented his two sons, without complaint, through these difficult circumstances dedicating himself to their interests and education. Every sport, Boy Scout event, and academic pursuit was enthusiastically encouraged. No backpacking trip was too arduous, no all-day wrestling match too long. He took real joy in making his sons' interests his own. He was an accomplished gift giver at holidays and birthdays, whether it was one of his "gifts to improve you" or one of his "gifts for you to enjoy."
In 1994, mutual friends introduced Tom and Val, and they married in 1998. Tom was exceptionally lucky in marriage twice, and it was Val who helped him emerge from and weather the difficult losses of his wife and elder son. The happiness that marked the last quarter century of his life, and his contentment even through tragedy are impossible to imagine without her. Although different in many ways, Tom and Val shared a commitment to public service and a belief in competent and kind people doing their jobs well to help others.
In retirement, he was able to enjoy his passions- Mathematics, French, Philosophy and The New England Patriots. He never tired of the Classics. At 80 years old,Tom was revisiting Xenophon, still underlining and making notes in the margins of the Cyropaedia, the telltale green jacketed Loeb Classical Library volume, among his stacks of treasured books.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 20, 2023, 3:00 PM, at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church, Brookhaven, GA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Tom's name to Christo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School or The Suthers Center for Christian Outreach. https://www.sutherscenter.org/give-help. https://cristoreyatlanta.org/Support/How-to-Donate.