Tom's is the story of one battery-operated man who lived as long as he was able for the people he loved and for the work that he loved.  Tom never liked to be fussed with, or to draw attention to himself.  Cathy and Mark, who worked tirelessly with Sharp Homecare to keep Tom on the planet, understand this in their hearts and souls.  Tom wouldn't like us writing about him.  Still, he did tell us the the things that were most important to him, the things that he thought about when he plugged himself in at night.  Tom said that he found purpose in life through his son Cameron, watching him grow, and spending time with him.  Tom always told us he couldn't believe how fortunate he was to have Cameron and how grateful he was to all those who were positive influences in Cameron's life.  Tom was a faithful parent and partner.  Despite Tom's heart and Kim's MS,  their hope always was to grow old together.  Tom was the sixth of seven children of Otto Rollin Jr. and Peggy Arnold Rollin.  He was less than a year younger than Patricia and three years older than Max.  The three of them were very close and shared their own language and humor.  Tom is connected to aunts, uncles, and cousins of the Rollin, Arnold, Klemm, and Beljean families.  Yes, Rob, you're the favorite cousin.  Tom was a creative and delightful uncle to Albert's daughter, Naomi, Patricia's sons, Nick, Dan, and Ben, and to Max's daughter, Cheyenne.  Tom was also a caring stepfather to Kim's son, Jory.  Tom found his calling in his work as exhibits fabricator at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.  He had joined Max to work there before Cameron was born.  Tom truly loved the work he did, the Space Museum and Gillespie Field, and the many people he worked with there.  Tom couldn't imagine life without work at the Air and Space Museum.  Tom had lifelong friends from Bonita who were at his side and sent wishes when Tom couldn't go on.  They carried on like residents of a small town, even though the world had spread out and filled in.  Then, there's the story of the LVAD.  Tom, like Max, had a failing heart.  Colleen, an exceptional nurse and fellow baseball parent, shepherded Tom into cardiac care.  This eventually led to the installation of a mechanical pump attached to Tom's heart, the LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device).  It compensated for the weakened heart muscle and kept Tom's blood flowing through his heart.  This technology was not available when Max's heart failed in 2002.  The pump has a driveline that is connects to an external controller and power source - battery packs during the day and electric wall plug in at night.  Living with an LVAD is not a simple thing, but it was Tom's chance at being alive a little longer.  (The longest survival time is about seven years so far.)  We are grateful to the Sharp Memorial Cardiac LVAD Unit for all the care they gave to Tom.  He never had anything but admiration and praise for his doctors and nurses.   We are also greatful to the men and women of the Skyline Trucktrail fire station.  They came when the family called, even if Tom was not thrilled to see them.  Their service and support benefited Tom's entire family.             We all loved Tom so much for all that he was and all that he is still to us.