Obituary of Thomas Durgavich

Thomas R. Durgavich, an Electrical Engineer, passed away at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center on Wednesday morning, June 14, 2006. He was 52 years old and the husband of Linda M. (Flammia) for the past 26 years. He was a resident of Burlington for the past 15 years. Tom was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He was a graduate of Bishop Ford High School in Brooklyn. He then went on to M.I.T. in Cambridge, where in five years he received both his Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degrees. Tom loved technology and science. He had a very distinguished career as an Electrical Engineer. He worked at Freescale Semiconductor, Motorola, Hewlett Packard, National Semiconductor, Lucent Technologies, Avid, Zaiq Technologies, and the M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science. Tom had many interests and was knowledgeable in many subjects. He enjoyed mathematics, computers, architecture, astronomy, finance and investing, to name just a few. He was also eager to learn and was an avid reader. Tom was very handy and enjoyed working around his home. He loved people and enjoyed talking with others and sharing his knowledge and experience. He was devoted to his wife Linda and very proud of his two children and their accomplishments. He treasured the time spent with his family and the special memories, events, and vacations they had together. Tom is the beloved husband of Linda M. (Flammia) Durgavich. Loving father of Matthew Durgavich of Boston and Rebecca Durgavich of Burlington . He is the son of Irma Durgavich of Rockville , MD and the late Edward Durgavich. He is the brother of Marianne Durgavich of Bethesda, MD and Edward Durgavich & his wife Victoria of Fountain Valley, CA. He is the brother-in-law of Anne & Bob Maher of Burlington , Jean & Tony Santullo of Woburn , and Paula & Jr. Farnum of Burlington . He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Saturday, June 17 at 10 a.m. Followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Barbara’s Church, 138 Cambridge Rd, Woburn at 11 a.m. Visiting hours Friday 4-8 p.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Tom’s name may be made to the Burlington High School Scholarship Fund, Burlington High School , c/o Thomas Imbriglio, 123 Cambridge St. , Burlington , MA 01803 . Matt's Eulogy for his Dad Tom was raised in Brooklyn, New York where he shared an apartment with his mother, father, sister, and baby brother. He claimed they were poor, but he never felt it; his mother and father stretched everything as far as they could to provide for their children. The value of caring for family was instilled in my father at an early age. When he was young, and twenty-five cents was a decent weekly allowance, he would meet his brother, Edward, and his sister, Marianne, at the ice cream parlor. His treat. Marianne later told me that Tom “was always generous… he’d help you with anything at any time.” Tom was a good student, and he prided himself on this. He excelled in high school, and was offered a full scholarship to a local technical college. However, Tom had been accepted to MIT and he wished to go there. His mother and father deliberated on how to pay for such an education. His mother said to his father, “you tell him he can’t go to the best engineering school in the country.” As always, they found a way to make it work. MIT was a large part of my father’s life: he never tired of telling stories about his years there as a student, and later as an employee. He took us to visit on many opportunities, and relished the chance to introduce us to former coworkers, colleagues, and friends. Some of the happiest years of his life were spent there, and his experiences certainly shaped the man he became. Tom believed in the power of education as a means to improve yourself and those you care about. My parents knew Rebecca and I worked hard in school, but dad made us prove it. If I asked for a little help with homework, he’d gladly assist me. He’d help with the problem, which would take perhaps fifteen minutes. Then he would take out copious amounts of scrap paper and set to work teaching almost a college semester’s worth of material in an hour. Then he’d quiz me for understanding. He never hesitated to give advice when asked. He functioned as his mother’s financial advisor, making her retirement that much more comfortable. He often advised me on matters of mathematics, employment, and girlfriends. He helped me, and my mother and sister, through all of our most trying times. He had a sense of humor that made you groan, but you learned to love it because it was his own. He loved to talk. But more importantly, he also loved to listen. He was happiest when conversing with someone who had similar interests, but he could talk to anybody. He truly believed that everybody had something to teach, and he was always willing to learn. Tom never stopped teaching. When I was young, he taught me the game of chess. He told me “I’m not going to let you win. This means I will win for many games to come, but then when you beat me your skill will genuinely be better than my own.” He believed in being honest and fair with everyone, even a young child. When Tom battled cancer his first time around, he taught everyone about dignity, strength, and perseverance. He told my family “I have to get better,” and then he did. The details in between became mostly inconsequential. He had set a goal before himself and he had reached it. He saw Rebecca and I finish school, grow up, and enter adulthood, and he shared his wisdom and love with those around him for almost ten more years. This time around, we are not so fortunate as to still have Tom with us. Sometimes even the strongest fighters cannot succeed. But I am not afraid. One of my last conversations with my father was about marrying my mother. I asked him how he knew it would work, that it would blossom into 26 years of love. He thought about it silently for a while, and then he responded with “when you know you know.” Sometimes simple words carry the most truth. I am not afraid because I know he is at peace. I know he has taught me to be the man I wish, that he has shown me how to love and be loved, and he has shown me how to live life fully and greatly. I love you doesn’t say enough. You will be with us always.