Losing Tommy feels like losing a brother. After all, our neighborhood was one big family! The memories we shared span over 60 years—from playing in sandboxes and climbing trees to pelting each other with rotten apples and learning to water-ski on Lost Lake. Oh, I might add, Tommy was also an expert at tossing unsuspecting girls off the dock into the water. AND, he never could say our last name correctly pronouncing it "Ear Ache" instead of "Erak." 😂

Our families were there for each other through it all, and even though time and distance may have kept us apart, our bond never wavered. We always knew that if any of us needed anything, we could count on Tommy—and that generosity extended to his entire family.

I speak for all the Erak family when I say that the Jacksons were a legend in the neighborhood. We coined their home affectionately as the “Kool-Aid house,” where everyone was welcome, no questions asked. Tommy was a good man, and he will be deeply missed by all of us who knew and loved him. ❤️