The following news release was sent in by Friends of Tom
Maplewood’s Dickens Village will add a brand-new building to honor Maplewoodian Tom Nevius, who passed away last summer.
Ellen Davenport, Co-Director of Dickens Village, said, “If ever there was a Secret Santa, it was Tom Nevius. Visitors to Dickens Village probably never saw him. He was the ‘behind the scenes’ guy who made it all work. Tom was the master craftsman who maintained the houses of Dickens Village, making sure that all the lights worked, and invented ways to make the houses more accessible. Tom built the house sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Maplewood, and he created the mailbox that children could “mail” their letters to Santa! And, of course, Tom was the “elf” who checked the mailbox every night to make sure that all the letters were delivered to Santa.”
Tom’s reach in the community was more than just his contributions to Dickens Village.
Rent Party founder Chris Dickson explained, “Tom wore so many hats in our little town. Tom was the kind of guy whose impact will be difficult to replace in our community,” added Dickson. “He was integral in building and maintaining the South Orange Elks Rent Party Garden, and an important part of our team when Rent Party moved our shows to The Woodland, building the bar and storage closet, just to name a few things. I also had the pleasure of coaching a lot of girls’ softball with “Coach Tom” over the years. He will be missed.”
According to neighbor Joe Wightman, Tom was also the unofficial Mayor of North Bowdoin Street. “Tom was a wonderful neighbor, always willing to lend a hand. That was everything from organizing snowball fights, teaching kids to park for the road test, or helping a neighbor chainsaw a fallen tree!” said Wightman.
Maplewood’s “real Mayor”, Vic DeLuca, echoed Wightman’s comments. “Tom loved Maplewood and was always willing to give his time and talent to our community. We joked that he was the Mayor of Bowdoin Street because he was the go-to guy to get things done. Tom’s contributions touched our lives in so many ways. We thank him and miss him.”
Tom’s Workshop will be a replica of Tom’s house on Bowdoin Street, with woodworking tools, and was designed by local craftsman Gene McLoughlin. It will be built this summer by McLoughlin and Joe Frankoski. Davenport said, “We’re excited about this addition to Dickens Village, and we’re partnering with Mike Schloff and The Maplewoodshop program at Columbia High School to provide youngsters hands-on opportunities at Tom’s Workshop. Tom was passionate about teaching kids, so we think he would have loved this.”
For more than 60 years, Dickens Village has been an annual holiday display in Ricalton Square in Maplewood Village that recreates scenes from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol using miniature houses filled with detailed period furnishings, fireplaces, stockings, toys, shops, and holiday decorations. The village is presented as a gift from the Maplewood business community to residents and visitors
Friends of Tom are seeking donations to help build Tom’s Workshop. For information about how to donate, email [email protected].
