Old NH Register scribe passes

The day before the NH Coliseum -- where the press box is named after him -- got the wrecking ball.

Tom McCormack, who spent parts of five decades covering sports for the New Haven Journal-Courier and Register died Friday morning at the Hospital of St. Raphael.
McCormack, who had been in declining health, was 77.
He started at the Journal Courier in 1966 and retired from the New Haven Register in 1996. He spent the next eight years working part time at The Hartford Courant and New Haven Register.
During his career, McCormack covered an array of sports, from New Haven's professional hockey teams, the Blades and Nighthawks to college athletics, including the UConn men's basketball team.
In 1996 the press box at the Veteran's Memorial Colisuem in New Haven was named in McCormack's honor.
McCormack covered the NFL and Major League Baseball, including the earthquake of Game 3 of the 1989 World Series. McCormack smoothly handled the chaos of the situation, his colleagues recalled.
"He did a brilliant job of incorporating his genius for politics, emergency services and sports into some of the finest deadline journalism Ive ever seen," Register columnist Dave Solomon said.
He was born Aug. 10, 1929 in New York City, he is the son of the late Thomas and Mary Giblin McCormack. He is survived by is wife, Marilyn Keegan McCormack, three sons, a grandson and a great-granddaughter.

And a great column from today's Register:
http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17733471&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=7592&rfi=6

 

tom was one of this industry's many hidden treasures.

r.i.p.

 

Anyone know if New Haven sent a writer to the '06 World Series?

 

As a former sports editor at the Register, Tom was one of the people who made the job tolerable. His stories were hilarious. From the Tick Tock Diner to expense account Hershey Bars to arriving at games in New York City early because ''you're either four hours early or three hours late because of rush hour'', I am proud to have known someone like him. He had a tremendous work ethic and was a great source on New Haven sports. He touched a lot of people, including myself, and will be sorely missed.