Tribute to Thom Birch

(1/18/1954 -11/9/2006)

Thank you for coming. Please join us in celebrating the life of Thom Birch. For those of you who did not know Thom, he was an incredibly gifted athlete, musician, and teacher. His intense enthusiasm for life and his personal charisma touched and enhanced the lives of all who knew him. Thom loved people and was always there for anyone in need.

Growing up in the Bronx, Thom overcame a childhood of constant struggle to become a world class runner. He attended the University of Houston on a full track and field scholarship, becoming the Most Valuable Athlete of his graduating class. After returning to New York in l982, he went on to become an exceptional yoga teacher, touching the lives of tens of thousands of runners and athletes in his classes through the New York Road Runners Club in New York City from l986-2002. He helped to heal and inspire many an injured runner, himself coming back from a career ending injury to regain a national title in 1985. His mental and physical training as a runner always put him a few steps ahead of most everyone else – which helped him to act almost instantaneously and save the lives of three people over the past 20 years – one from choking to death, one from drowning after being carried out to a reef on an ocean current, and the last from burning to death in a blazing car accident.

In the last 5 years, Thom retired from teaching and went on to pursue his first love in life, ---music. Thom has been singing since he was a child and was always singing to his students in yoga classes. He went full time into music with the same dedication that he had devoted to attaining world class status as an athlete, teaching himself the intricacies of lead guitar and practicing for hours and hours a day. He played at many of the clubs and cafes on the East End of Long Island and was scheduled for his 6th show at the famous Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett this December.

Thom touched many lives through his life as a runner, teacher, and musician. His energy lives on in those who knew him, through the many gifts he has given us. We all carry his stories, his energy, his music, and his struggles in our hearts every day.

Beryl greatly appreciates the support from her world family.

Donations

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the
name of Thomas Edward Birch to:
Autism Speaks, a division of National Alliance
for Autism Research)
or

The Mount Sinai Medical Neurobiological Study
of Brain Disorders at:

The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and
Bronx VA Medical Center
Psychiatry Research, 4F-33B
Bronx VA Medical Center
130 West Kingsbridge Road
Bronx, NY 10468
(please note Haroutunian:
Neurobiology Research Program in the memo)

(visit the original page at http://www.power-yoga.com)