MARBLEHEAD — The entire town is grieving after the loss of Thomas A. McNulty, a town public servant and businessman, known for his sense of humor and affectionately referred to by many as “Mr. Marblehead.”
Those were some of the words shared by Helaine Hazlett, a long-time friend and Dollars for Scholars founder who recruited McNulty to be the foundation’s first president in 1987.
Residents, friends, and family of McNulty, who died last Sunday after a long battle with cancer at age 70, packed Abbot Hall on Sunday, where a public memorial service was held to celebrate his life.
“Most of you have heard the word, ‘mensch,” Hazlett said. “Translated it means a person of integrity, one is decent, honest and upstanding. This week, Marblehead lost a true mensch. Our town lost a part of its soul when we lost Tom McNulty. Rest in peace, dear Tom.”
Hazlett said McNulty gave Dollars for Scholars the credibility to become what it is today — 30 years later, the endowment is at $3 million and $2 million has been given away in scholarship money.
Most Marbleheaders of her generation met Tom the way Hazlett said she did — when he greeted her at the top of the stairs of the Warwick Cinema, welcoming her individually, as if it was his own personal living room.
McNulty served the town in a variety of civic roles. He entered public office in 1975 after winning election as an Abbot Public Library trustee. He was elected to the Board of Selectmen in 1980 and served on the board for 18 years, finishing first in town balloting for selectman 16 times. He served as board chairman for 15 years and was elected town clerk from 2001 to 2007.
McNulty was the third generation member of his family to run the Warwick Cinema and he served on the boards of Marblehead’s Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Counseling Center and Dollars for Scholars.
Brian McNulty said his brother, Tom, loved being a public persona — everybody in Marblehead knew Tom. He said someone couldn’t walk more than 10 feet down the street with Tom before he would stop to talk to someone or someone would stop to talk to him.
Brian said Tom and Deb, his wife of 45 years, were two of the most sophisticated people. He said the couple traveled all the time.
Brian said his brother was the patriarch of the family — Tom would step in whenever there was trauma. After their dad died, he said Tom took all the kids out to see the Christmas lights, continuing those family traditions that they always had.
Brian fondly recalled their bonding trips shared over brothers’ weekend, which started more than 20 years ago — Brian, Tom and their brothers would go all over the place, but the place Tom loved to go the most was Maine.
One particular story, Brian said, was “so Tom.” On their mother’s deathbed, he said they were all sitting around her — she was mumbling something and Tom gets up and walks over to her and says “what’s that, mom? You love me the best?” This was so Tom, he said.
“He was a civic leader,” Brian said. “He loved this town, Marblehead, so much, but he was worldly. He was sophisticated. He was political. He was (quick) witted. He was just fun to be with and we’re all going to miss him.”
John Kelley, McNulty’s best friend, said Tom would always introduce him as his oldest friend, which he made sure that Tom clarified was regarding longevity, not age. Kelley said he met McNulty about 65 years ago when he was in kindergarten. McNulty was in his sister’s first grade class.
Kelley said he went away for awhile, returning after college to work at his father’s liquor store. That was when Tom was running Warwick Cinema. He said Tom would have afternoons off and would come down to the store every afternoon — he would sit in the window and they would have coffee and talk.
“Everyone knew Tom, so everyone walking by had to come in and sit and talk and before long, it became known on Washington Street as Tom’s downtown office,” Kelley said.
Kelley said there was only one time that Tom got angry at him, when he joked that his friend might not be a Marbleheader, that for all he knew, his grandfather came to Marblehead from Portland and he was really a “down Mainer.” He said “he looked at me, and he said, John, and then you can fill in the blanks. I was born (in Marblehead). So, that settled that.”
Buck Grader, a former selectman, said he was friends with Tom for more than 30 years. He said they had been out of touch for several years when he heard Tom had cancer. He said he didn’t know what to do, but finally called him and Tom told him to stop by.
Grader said it started a “Tuesdays with Morrie” situation where he would come by every week or two, and the pair would chat and have a drink. He said he would always aim to come around 4:15 p.m. because he knew Tom didn’t want to have his one drink a day until 5.
“This went on for two years and it was something because Tom just never lost his sense of humor,” Grader said. “He embraced his mortality. He showed me what it was to accept what’s going to happen to everyone in this room. And he did it with (a grace) and a sense of humor. That’s a lesson he taught me and I feel blessed to have known him. I will miss him.”
