'Big, burly biker.' Framingham motorcycle crash victim had soft spot for animals
HOPKINTON — You might say Tommy Toomey stood out when he took his pets for a walk on Main Street.
Toomey, a "big, burly biker with a bunch of tattoos," would often take a couple dogs for a walk along with his young bull, "Howie the Cowie," according to his sister, Stephanie Toomey-Johnson.
"I would call him an urban rancher," she told the Daily News on Saturday. "He had this baby bull and he would walk it along with a German shepherd and another dog right down Main Street. If there was a way to level up, he would do it."
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Toomey, 39, died Aug. 12 after a motorcycle crash on Salem End Road in Framingham. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
After his family — particularly his daughters Caitlyn, Tommi, Peyton and Riley — Toomey's love for animals was a defining feature.
Along with Howie the Cowie, he had several chickens, goats, several dogs and cats, all living together in Hopkinton with his girlfriend, Laura Jones. He was also especially fond of his turkey, "Peep Peep," Toomey-Johnson said.
"Peep Peep was even at his funeral," his sister said. "He loved that dang turkey."
Toomey-Johnson said all of the animals have found homes — Peep Peep and the chickens went to Garner Girls Sawmill in Upton, while Howie the Cowie went to Norman's Place Farm & Rescue in New Hampshire. Other animals went to various friends.
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Toomey grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, before moving to Massachusetts about four years ago. He enlisted in the Marines at 17. After leaving the Marines, he later enlisted in the Army. He was a combat veteran, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Johnson-Toomey said.
Toomey had several tattoos, including one featuring the popular military expression, "Until Valhalla." Veterans issues were important to him, according to his sister.
"He was a patriot through and through," Toomey-Johnson said.
Toomey also had a passion for art. He would paint, sketch and would also make costumes, including a popular Grinch costume that he would wear while appearing for children's photographs at events for free.
"Tommy was a kid who was identified very young as a gifted artist," said Toomey-Johnson. "He was very talented in any form of art. His costumes were Hollywood quality. One of the last texts I got from him was him saying he was thinking about pursuing it professionally."
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Toomey was also an avid motorcycle rider, customizing his bike with hand-stitched leather. He made the kickstand himself, Toomey-Johnson said.
Although he may have looked intimidating to some, people quickly realized what kind of person Toomey really was, his sister said.
"He was a big, burly biker with a bunch of tattoos, but it would only take 10 seconds of being around him. He was a big teddy bear and you felt safe around him," she said.
"Tommy had, what I considered a gift, in making every person he engaged with to feel like the most important person in his life, whether he knew you for 10 minutes, 10 months or 10 years," Toomey-Johnson continued. "He was big in stature, he was big in personality and the biggest thing was he was big in was love.
"And if you had fur, feathers or scales, he loved you a little more."
How to help
A GoFundMe was created to raise money for Toomey's children. As of 10 p.m. Sunday, $8,650 of the $10,000 sought had been raised.
To donate, visit https://gofund.me/1d30c6a2.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham motorcycle crash victim Tommy Toomey had love for animals
