Thomas Maloney, Worcester native, mourned as union leader who 'stuck up for the underdog'
WORCESTER — Thomas J. Maloney is being remembered as a man who loved his union, did much for others and lived life with passions, including boxing and fishing, and time spent as what his brother described as being a gentleman farmer.
Maloney, who lived most of his life in Worcester and had a wide network of friends, died unexpectedly Feb. 15 in his sleep in his home in Woodstock, Connecticut. He was 56.
“He loved the union. He stuck up for the underdog,” said his brother, John Maloney, a retired Worcester firefighter who is one year older. He described their age difference as “Irish twins.”
Obituary Thomas J. Maloney
Tommy, as some friends and colleagues called him, graduated from Worcester Vocational Technical High School in 1985. He spent his career as an electrician and moved up the ranks in IBEW Local 96 in Worcester, attaining the rank of business manager that placed him in the small circle of top leadership at the union.
Jim Arthur, who described his job as Maloney’s assistant, said it’s fitting that his boss worked out of the union’s office on Mill Street next to Coes Pond, because that pond is where Maloney and John fished when they were boys.
“It meant a lot to him be a member of that union for 38 years, and one of the union’s leaders for the last six,” said Arthur.
Recalling with a chuckle as he shared an example of how Maloney went out of his way to help others, Arthur said numerous people dropped by the union's office through the years because Maloney sent them there to see if any entry-level jobs were available.
“(Maloney) loved to give back to the community. Overall, he was a pretty good guy,” said Arthur. “Everyone who ever came into contact with him came through the last two days to pay their respects. It was overwhelming at times.”
The gentleman-farmer period of Maloney's life happened when he moved to Woodstock a few years ago. “He was intrigued with gentleman farming. He had chickens and sheep,” said John Maloney. “Woodstock was (John’s) home. He was at peace in Woodstock.”
One of Thomas Maloney's interests was boxing, which he competed in as a light heavyweight and heavyweight at the Exchange Street Gym and Ionic Avenue Boys Club.
“I loved to watch him box,” said John Maloney, noting he never got into disagreements with his brother that could have made him the recipient of a powerful right hook. “I stayed away from (the right hook). He protected us."
Motorcycles, especially rebuilding antique models, was another one of his brother’s passions. So was playing rugby, and fishing. Their late father, John F. Maloney Jr., took his sons to Hampton Beach for ocean fishing and to lakes and ponds throughout Massachusetts.
Baseball was another love, and Maloney served on the Worcester Ballpark Commission at the time of his death. As the commission's union representative, Maloney and his fellow members were responsible for many aspects of Polar Park, including safeguarding the city’s financial interest in the ballpark.
Maloney also doted over his nieces, Katherine and Margaret Maloney, John’s daughters, taking them to plays and concerts in Worcester and to horse races in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Margaret remarked that her late uncle was determined to diversify the ranks of the electrician’s union in Worcester. “He wanted the union to be a place of safety for different walks of life,” she said.
Maloney's funeral was Thursday at O'Connor Brothers Funeral Home on Park Avenue, followed by burial at St. John's Cemetery.
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Thomas Maloney, Worcester native and leader in IBEW Local 96, mourned
