Thomas Lara III

Tom is the oldest of his two siblings: Linda and Paul. Due to their father being very active in the San Bruno community (Thomas Jr., co-founder of the Joe Dimaggio Youth Baseball Program in CA.) Tom had but little choice to be active too. Fortunately, Tom was blessed with athleticism and participated in many sports when attending Serra High School, from 1958 to 1962.

Tom participated in Track, Baseball and Football. He played on the 1961 & 1962 League Champions Football Team and on the 1960 & 1962 CalChampionship Baseball Team.

Tom was an outstanding athlete and assistant coach on his fathers’ teams. However, the potential promising professional Baseball career was not the path that he decided on. Instead, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam.

Shortly after his return from Vietnam, Tom met his first wife Kay and they welcomed a son, Thomas IV in May 1968.

Several years later he welcomed his second son, Michael [Presta] in Oct 1974 with his then wife Jane [Presta].

With the ol’adage, third times a charm, Tom married Linda [Slocum] and they welcomed a baby girl, Salena Concetta Pearl in Oct. 1978. Unfortunately, third time was not the charm and they too were divorced.

Tom has been estranged from his current wife, Kathleen [Foulds] for over 20 years. They did not have any children together.

Along life’s journey of marriages and having kids, Tom worked as a Machinist by trade in various positions at construction sites in the San Francisco Bay Area; including the Naval Shipyard at Hunters Point. One of Tom’s most prominent positions was with Westinghouse contracted by the U.S. Navy.

Here is where Tom was assigned to a missile testing site team that were sent to the East Coast to do ballistic missile testing on the Trident Submarine; (the successor to the Polaris/Poseidon Ballistic Missile Fleet.)

In Tom’s retirement he stayed active participating in many organizations; American Legion, Lyons, VFW-Chapter 2517, and with the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge – 3255 in Brisbane, CA; where he served as President for 3 years.

Tom will be missed. He always had a smile to share, a smoke to light, an ear to bend and a story to make you laugh.

Thomas Lara III Celebration of Life Memorial will be held on Sunday August 21 at 12 noon at the Eagles Lodge, 185 Visitation Street, Brisbane CA 94005- 415-467-7199.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to, The Vietnam Veterans of America- www.vva.org/donate.

Thomas Lara III is preceded in death by his parents Thomas Lara Jr. and Concetta Lara, his sister Linda [Salcedo]. He is survived by his brother Paul Lara (Sandy), Tom’s three children- Thomas Lara IV, Michael Presta (Heather), Salena Lara Paul (Bobby), along with his four grandchildren- Michael Presta Jr., Liliana Katelin Paul, Adeline Grace Paul and Evelinn Mae Paul; and one Great Grandchild that he never had a chance to meet; along with many Nieces, Nephews, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins who have always loved and supported him.