Thomas M. Walinski

Thomas Merwin Walinski
Fort Pierce, Florida

Thomas Merwin Walinski was born in Uniontown, PA and grew up in Maryland. He began a love affair with the sea surfing in Ocean City and Fenwick Island. He trained as a hard hat deep sea diver, then worked as a deck hand on commercial boats in West OC. After he earned his captain’s license, he was given command of two ships in the quahog clamming fleet. In Florida, Tom bought his first commercial boat, the Amy S. He swordfished and then scaled back to kingfishing with his second boat, the Lil Rover. In the mid 1990’s, Tom started an aluminum sub-contracting business and built a home in Fort Pierce. In 1998, he moved to Costa Rica and became a dual citizen. He built the house of his dreams in Tamarindo Guanacaste, where he surfed and supped and built custom homes as well as many lasting and meaningful friendships. Tom returned to the United States frequently to help his aging parents. It became a full-time job for him in 2016, so he bought an old lobster boat and put it in his parents’ back yard to work on as he cared for them. Tom planned to finish the boat and take it to Costa Rica, but in May 2018 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was given four months to live, but true to his strength and nature, he took twenty-one. During those months, he completed the boat, christened it Kona Mana ‘O, and launched it in March 2019. He had a half year of good fishing, and a lifetime of good loving. Tom died peacefully at his parents’ home, lleno de esperanza y amor. Pura vida, Tom, we’ll miss you.

Tom is survived by his son Thomas McKenna Walinski of Kailua Kona, HI. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard T. & Marilyn Walinski.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice or CepiaCostaRica.org are suggested.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 3:00 PM at Haisley Funeral Home, Fort Pierce.