Thomas PREVENAS was born 10 Aug 1911, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, to parents Peter Demetrios and Mary (ZABSKI) PREVENAS.
“As a child, Tommy was quite a little animal lover, dogs, cats, anything he could find. Anywhere he could find a little waif, orphan of the storm, he would bring it home. At one time my mother went down into the basement and there were nine different animals down there that he had brought home. He would give them a little milk and put them down there. When we lived on Racine Avenue, he was about ten years old and he came across a little dog that had a fishhook caught in its mouth. He couldn’t get it out, and couldn’t get it out. Our house was about a half a block away from Election Brother’s Hospital. He took it over there and they took it out for him.” [*HPT]
“Tommy was the apple of his father’s eye along with Anna. Violet was until Dodo was born. Violet was his Billy-boy. Oh how he loved her! There were six years before Dodo came along after Violet. In the between years our mother had several miscarriages and stiliborns. She had a pregnancy every year. The sun rose and set on Tommy’s behind and he loved every minute of it. Despite being born here he was a Greek through and through. As far as women are concerned, the wife is supposed to stay home and have children. The man is suppose to have girl friends and whatever he wants.” [*HPT]
“Tommy was real nasty to me. I started work at 7:00 in the morning. I was suppose to get through at 7:00 in the evening. That was twelve hours for a 14, 15, 16 year old girl which I didn’t know any different so it didn’t bother me. But, Tommy was suppose to come and relieve me by 8:00 at night. Well he would show up when he got damn well good and ready, sometimes 12:00 at night, 1:00, or 2:00 in the morning. And I like a nut would stay and work until he showed up. I didn’t have enough brains at that time. And my father, at 6:30, 7:00 off he went down to Chicago (this was when we were at LaGrange).” [*HPT]
Tom did not serve in WWII because he was married with children. Tom was threatened by gangsters: If Tom didn’t work for them, he would end up in the army regardless of children. He ran the restaurant in one of their night clubs. Some years later, Tom had to move 'way out' to Elgin after having trouble with the syndicate.
“Tom and Grace used to have real good fights. I remember one time when we were out at the cottage in Antioch, they had a real humdinger. They were throwing things. Tommy got in the car and drove away. Grace had this knife, maybe that is why he got in the car and drove away. His jacket was hanging over the chair and Grace was swearing like a bloody pirate. She slashed that jacket to pieces. One time one of them pulled the phone out of the wall and threw it at the other one. The phone went through the window and down two floors.” [*KPL]
“Tommy and Grace didn’t get along well. They almost had a divorce twenty times before one would back out. When they finally got a divorce they were separated only a short period of time. Then they lived together beautifully ever since.” [*HPT]
“I remember Uncle Tommy living with us before I was in school. I think he worked at night. During the day he would sleep in the bathtub for hours. He would ride me around on his shoulders and he would say 'low bridge' as he would duck under the doorways. They always thought it was so humorous because I thought he was saying 'Hello bridge'. Then, he would roll me up in the Indian blanket. He bought me the big slide and a swing set.” [*ML]
“Dadsie and Uncle Tommy took me to the movies one time to see Lady and the Tramp. I don’t remember making noise but they said that by the time the movie was over all the seats around us were cleared out.” [*ML]
“Uncle Tommy had a boat once. They couldn’t find him one time. It was winter time and they finally found him just sitting in the boat in the garage waiting for spring to take it out in the water.” [*ML]
Tom was a playboy. He was by profession a cook and a country club manager. He often bounced within very poor to very wealth range. He was once so wealthy he was known to buy cars weekly to please daughters’ tastes. He hosted many dinners and parties for large numbers of friends who disappeared when his money ran out.
“Tommy was living in Villa Park and he had an old, old house. There was nothing around there then. Peter was visiting there. It was a Saturday afternoon and the weill pump broke. Ray was just sitting there watching while Peter and Tommy were down in the hole. Peter is one of these guys that has to have everything just exactly perfect. He was there taking the pump apart with Tom. They found a broken part. Peter said, 'I’ll take this to the shop Monday and I’ll make you a new part.' Tommy hollerd, 'What the hell are you talking about? I need water now, not Monday. I will fix it.' Peter said, 'Well, if you can fix it now I’ll kiss you ass on Madison Street.' So, Tommy goes and gets a sardine can, and this kind of thing, and that kind of thing, and he worked on the well. All the while Peter and Tommy are arguing. Ray was listening and laughing hysterically the whole afternoon. When all done Tom hollered to Peter, 'Kiss my ass!' Ray said he would never forget that in all his life, it was the funniest day he ever had.” [*KPL]
During the late 1960’s, Tom and family lived in Cabool MO for several years while he still worked in a Chicago suburb. He drove back and forth until he started having blackouts while driving. They moved back to Illinois. He suffered for many years from an unknown illness. The symptoms became similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
“First Tommy started hallucinating. He would say “Look it, Helen, see that man out on the telephone post out there? Look! No body believes me and that guy has been on that telephone post for so long.” Another time I was there and I started to walk over to a chair and he hollered, “Don’t step there!” I said, “Why?” And he explained, “Right under there is where they have the dead people. There is a mortuary under there. You might fall through. Can’t you see it?” Then he kept having more and more hallucinations. It got so Grace couldn’t leave him alone for a minute. She would wake up in the middle of the night and find him cleaning the oven, sharpening knives, walking down the apartment building’s hallway in his night clothes That went on for at least seven years. He gradually became weaker and weaker. Eventually, he couldn’t walk or get up. He lost control of his body, his bladder, and bowels. Grace stuck with him and took care of him at home until he died from pneumonia. He had several hospital stays to recover from bouts of pneumonia.” [*HPT]
Thomas Peter Prevenas passed away at home at age 77 on Wednesday, September 14th, 1988. His body was cremated.
This is my memorial to Tommy.
Tommy is the dark handsome boy whom we dubbed “The Sheik” since all the girls in the neighborhood sighed over him, and I was proud he was my brother.
Tommy is the little boy who brought stray dogs and abandoned cats home. Ma would feed them and then quietly let them go early in the morning.
Tommy is the one who made my graduation day with a beautiful watch I never dreamed I’d ever have. It was silver and had a black band. He’d won it in a poker game and remembered how I dreaded being the only girl graduating without one. It was deep in the depression and people were lucky to have food.
Tommy is the one who shocked the town by filling the car with young girls in bathing suits and driving down Main Street.
Tommy is the one who squeezed the most out of the grape. Always ready for fun, the big spender with a soft heart. He’d spend his last buck with a flourish. You’d think he still had a pocket full of them.
The years separated us but I always remembered him. I knew if I needed him, he’d find a way to help me as he often did.
Tommy was my big brother and I loved him. I remembered our father saying he wasn’t afraid of death. He’d made it here all right so the next place was a new adventure. Wherever you are, Tommy, ? ? ? place having fun.” [*VPC]
[*HPT Helen Prevenas Thein, *KPL Katharine Prevenas Langner, *ML Marty Langner, *VPC Violet Prevenas Coghlan]
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