In Memory of
THOMAS J. HEMPTON
October 7, 1950 - January 14, 2012
Commodore Thomas J. Hempton – "“Tom"” to all of us – one of the most prominent and well-liked members of the Glen Cove Yacht Club, passed away unexpectedly this weekend, on January 14, 2012. In addition to being a great friend and sailing companion the Yacht Club lost one of its most valuable assets with Tom’s passing.
Tom spent a lifetime sailing on Hempstead Harbor and Long Island Sound, from a sunfish in his youth to his beloved Cape Dory “Tanqueray”. As a member for 40 years, he shared that love for sailing and ‘messing about in boats’ with all of us. The Hempton family were early members of the Club and Tom honed his sailing skills in the family’s Highlander “McScot”, but after college Tom became a member in his own right and rapidly became an essential part of the Club. From there on, he was unlikely to miss any social event or work party, making Tom the poster boy for the term ‘Member in Good Standing’.
The Club has changed significantly from the early days when most members were day sailors or fishermen, and much of that is due to the active participation of Tom Hempton as a member of the Board of Trustees, on which he served for over 30 years. He led the Club as Commodore through one of its most disastrous episodes when the historic Clubhouse was destroyed by a suspicious fire, about 20 years after the founding of the Club. This could have signaled the collapse of the Club which had a small annual budget and insignificant reserves, but Tom worked tirelessly with the City administration to see a new Clubhouse erected within two years.
As the Glen Cove Yacht Club began to evolve, Tom’s presence on the Board played a major role in solving the routine problems of a small budget Club and in the introduction of new events and better services to the members. His intelligent advice and support led to the purchase of a real launch, a major step up from our old Garvey clamboat that was used to ferry members to and from their boats. He was an active promoter of new activities and at the center of our social events. Tom sailed his boat in the first-ever Club races organized by Larry Ward during the year of our nation’s bicentennial. He participated in the first of many overnight Club cruises and raft-ups, which picked Ziegler’s Cove as its initial destination – a pristine location that Tom would later introduce to many others when he started the 30-year tradition among old friends known as the “Men’s Cruise”.
Most members, the old and the new, will recall that Tom was always to be found in two places on Commissioning Day: standing with the Officers and Trustees at the Club’s opening ceremony, and immediately following the canon salute, standing behind the bar insuring that no one was ever thirsty. He was the ultimate host, at home or on his boat, and he liked nothing better than insuring a good time was had by all, wherever good friends and colleagues gathered.
Now that the Glen Cove Yacht Club has surpassed its 50-year milestone, much through the efforts and guidance of Commodore Tom Hempton, whenever we who enjoy ‘messing about in boats’ meet to swap stories, share a meal and a drink or two, let us raise a glass in his honor and pray that Tom always has fair winds and following seas, wherever he sails.
Dave Nieri, Rich Reynolds
Glen Cove Yacht Club Officers and Trustees
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