"Dr. Hickey was my faculty advisor at UM-SPH, and I worked for several years as one of his research assistants. Those opportunities--and his recommendation to my first \'real job\'--started me on a wonderful career combining health education and gerontology. He was unfailingly kind, and I\'ll always be grateful for his good counsel and guidance. My sympathies to his family. "
In loving memory of
Tom Hickey
December 21, 1939 - November 8, 2020
Tom Hickey passed away on November 8, 2020 after complications from surgery. He was born in Monterey Park, California on December 21, 1939 to Thomas John II and Celestine Hickey.
Tom grew up in California and earned a BA from Gonzaga University, an MA from California State University and an MPH and DrPH from UCLA. In his professional career, Dr. Hickey was an accomplished scholar, author, and leader, serving as a founding member and president of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, president of the Gerontological Society of America, faculty member on the Michigan Board of Athletics, and in various professional leadership roles. He served on the faculty at Penn State and the University of Michigan where he directed the Health Gerontology program and received distinguished research awards. Tom taught classes in aging and medical ethics which were widely attended by students across campus. He retired as a professor emeritus of health behavior and health education from the University of Michigan in 2002.
His greatest joys in life came not from accomplishments but from his family. Tom fell in love with Louise before they even dated, and they were married at the San Gabriel Mission in 1965. They were best friends for over 55 years. They created a life together that spanned the country: California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona. They enjoyed cooking gourmet meals, traveling, playing golf, watching football, 3 daily games of cribbage, reading together and listening to music with a glass of wine. Louise appreciated his patience with her love of birds and many sewing projects! His hard work over his career allowed for a cottage at Higgins Lake Michigan where the family spent many summers and weekends hosting family and friends and watching the sunset. He loved the new community of friends they found in retirement both in Fountain Hills and at Sagewood.
He was immensely proud of and loved his two children and their spouses. He was especially proud of his only granddaughter, Katherine. He was always her Prince Charming when playing numerous games of Cinderella. Tom lived a humble life as a devout Catholic with a sense of humor, patience, kindness, and thoughtfulness. He was exceptionally organized! Tom loved driving his corvette and reading and sharing the New Yorker and Far Side cartoons. He treated others with respect, from the CEO to the gardener, and loved to engage in conversation with everyone he met.
Tom is survived by his wife Louise of Phoenix, Arizona, children Joel (Lisa) of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Jamie (Chris Brown) and their daughter, Katherine, of Mount Pleasant, Michigan. His sisters Barbara, Margaret, Maureen, and brothers Pat (Pam), Mike (Debbie), brother in law George Altizer, and former sister-in-law Barbara Starkweather, numerous nieces and nephews, extended family, and friends.
Tom will be cremated and interred at the San Gabriel Mission, in San Gabriel, California. Tom believed in higher education, so, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Dr. Tom and Louise Hickey Scholarship Award at Central Michigan University or the Sagewood Scholarship fund. https://giving.cmich.edu/hickeyaward
Anyone that wants to mail a contribution may make check payable to: Central Michigan University with Memo: Dr. Tom and Louise Hickey Award, and additional note - in memory of Dr. Tom Hickey.
Remit to -
Attn: Gifts Processing
Carlin Alumni House
524 E. Bellows St.
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Tributes
"Love from Ann Arbor, Michigan to you all. Your dad was a kind person to me as a young person, in scouting and around the neighborhood. Matt Knudsvig"
"We have many special memories of conversations with Tom in our small Higgins Lake neighborhood. He was a good neighbor and a good friend. He will be missed. Tom and Dinah Hayes"