The Second 25 Years
1997 - 2021
Stories told by friends and family about the second 25 years of Thomas' life.
Disco Queen
I don’t have a story to tell, but I made an acrostic for Thomas:
T-Tolerant
H-Hairless
O-Open-minded
M-Master Blaster
A-Affable
S-Story Teller
*Happy Birthday Thomas! The Gelling family loves you!
Jax
When Dad left to go to Utah it was really tough for, I think, all of our family. I was just missing him so much. I remember crying one time and Thomas was the oldest male figure at our house and perfect for the job I needed. I ran out to his car because he was leaving for the night and I was just inexplicably sad. And I just said I needed a hug. Thomas hugs are the best! They can heal most any hurts. We love you Thomas. Thanks for always being there for our family!
Mrs. Gannon
At Paradise Farm camp duringMarshCreek 6th grade cabin sleepover, Tom & I caught up w/ each other on a long hike up to the team-building area after a huge Mess hall breakfast. Before I started hiking, reached into my bag & slathered lip protector on. No mirror - mindlessly laid it on. As 3yr. preschool teacher of all Kate & Toms children, I've always been so impressed how proud of Kate & all the children he is. The love is so evident. Then as I moved through students 1 exclaimed "you still have breakfast on your lips!" Actually, it was that glossy lip protector. My thought "Tom, why didn't u tell me?" or most likely, he didn't notice, typical guy, lol.. I think it's funny because Tom is just so nice & kind, I'm sure he didn't notice or didn't think it was a big deal. Kate & Tom have every right to be proud because their family is 1 in a million ❤. I feel blessed knowing this family & him.
Joe Iezzi
I believe it was the 2006 Downingtown West Football season. Of course, due to history Wick and I always got pumped up for the Coatesville game rivalry for so many reasons. But in this particular game we were really into it. Very close game as usual. But Thomas was yelling at the referees the entire game. Imagine that. He was even warned. It was near the end of the game and I could see the referee ready to throw the flag on Wick! I kept telling him to shut up and cool it or you're going to cost us the game. Finally, I could see the referee looking at him. I told him one more time to chill out. He wouldn't! Imagine that !! So I took him down to the ground in a headlock to keep him quiet !! As everyone moved out of the way, there was Coach Milano, looking down at us grappling on the ground saying what the H , is this !! True story, that I don't know if Thomas tells very much !!
Kim & Mike
We met Thomas (better known as “Wick” to us) through our son “Brad” playing Football for Downingtown West! Wick was Coaching so of course we got to know him & his SWEET family well! I’ll never forget the day that we really got to know him more than a Coach…when we went on the Diabetes Walk in Philly for his son “Evan” in the Fall of 2019! The blue wigs were the BEST and the boys really enjoyed hanging with Coach Wick outside of Football! We got to hear how he & Katie’s Love Story began which was really cool…LOVE hearing those kinds of stories! It was a FUN day all around and although Wick is an AMAZING mentor to all these boys on the West Football team, I’m glad we got to know what a wonderful guy & friend he is outside of Football too.
Happy 50th Birthday Wick
Beanie
A couple of years ago I had an opportunity to speak to the Downingtown West football team which Wick was affiliated with. That Friday night I was with the team in the locker room and also on the sideline. West was playing Downingtown East which was a big rivalry. During the week I gave them my background when I was speaking to them and told the team that I graduated in 1963. On the night of the game, Wick came over to me and said Beanie one more touchdown and we score 63 points, that’s the year you graduated. On the next drive, they scored the touchdown and the extra point and scored 63 points. Wick came over and hugged me we were jumping up and down. After the game when the team was circled around each other after the big win. Wick spoke to the team and reminded them that I graduated in 63 and they scored 63 points. They all cheered and we hugged again. Knowing Wick for many years was our most memorable moment. We will probably never forget that moment and Wick has been a great friend over the years and what a tremendous young man. Happy 50th Birthday to one of the best football players that has ever graduated from Downingtown West!
Andrew's mom or Mrs. Bradley
I have known Tom since High School but knew his sisters well from twirling. However, in the later years I have gotten to reconnect with Tom in later years when he became one of Andrew's football coaches at West and this year I get to call him a colleague. There is not a real story here just Tom being a friend!! Although I must admit this memory involves both my boys! Tom volunteered to chaperone the Latin trip to Penn State a few years back with TJ. My son Lukas attended as well and was a friend of TJ. Tom sent me a cool picture of the boys in their Togas from the conference! I appreciated that Tom was watching out for him.. He was a great coach for Andrew and the boys but I truly enjoyed celebrating the season of "The Best West Ever" with them all! I am proud to call him a friend!
Deb
Interestingly enough I think I met Thomas when he was in high school but I never knew. He was friends with my younger sister. The day I learned this was a first-grade field trip with Brett. In walked Thomas a chaperone and he was not there long when he informed me he learned on the baseball field that I was a “Sotis”. When I told him I was he was so happy to share how he knew my sister and how they were friends in HS. I actually texted my sister on the bus to see if she remembered him. Of course she did and shared how he was a super nice guy! Still is!! Even when the chips are down or things seem hard he always seemed to find the positive and silver lining. I on this momentous occasion I will say, “Welcome to the club!” It is a number not an attitude! Wear it well.
MIKE HANCOCK
Happy Birthday, Wick! So many possible stories to tell. Where to start? Scouting trips as young coaches? The clinics in Lancaster? Coaching in the STATES? The time my sister called you a “loser”? The time you pointed to Matt Ellis’s sister who was picking him up from the weight room and saying “I’m asking her out”? Eating a giant burger from Hardee’s? Riding around in the 4 door sports car with the heat on in the summer so your pool would feel more refreshing? I can’t decide where to start and all of that is from the 1990s! I’ll think of something! Happy 50th Birthday to a great friend!
DAN ELLIS
There really are too many stories that could be told and the entire internet may not be big enough to hold the stories.
One story that not many may know is my 21st birthday when Thomas almost started a fight on the Corner at UVA while feeding me Long Island Ice Tea like it was water. But in the end he really did help me out and even let me sleep on the couch on my porch … while it snowed (I think).
SAM-A-LAM
So many, but the one that stands out is I think I was babysitting the kids and you guys came home and we sat around the kitchen table and Uncle Thomas was telling stories of his time at Downingtown. We were cracking up because he was talking about how he got the class out of taking a Spanish test by convincing Señora that there was no test. One story lead to another about how he tormented his teachers in high school and I will never forget how funny that night was!
BRANDON
I have known the whole Wickersham family since probably before 2nd grade and have always been good friends with Evan and TJ. I remember all of Evan’s birthday sleepovers in elementary school. Evan always had the coolest shoes. I remember one specific picture of Evan on the sidelines ready to go out and do his cartwheels with his dad holding him back by his shirt. I've always thought it was cool how much football runs in your family and how involved you are in Downingtown sports. I've always liked seeing you around at West recently and I’m sure you are an excellent special ED teacher. Happy birthday Mr. Wickersham and thanks for always being a great role model to your family and more of their peers than you may ever realize.
MATT
My favorite Thomas story is one that happened a while back when our kids were much younger. We didn’t get out a lot then and made the most of it when we did. Thomas, myself, and his brother-in-law Matt were out at what was then Spence Cafe. At that time they would do a $2 vodka and Red Bull special, which probably had something to do with the rest of this story. The night was pretty uneventful until the bartender called out “last call”. Thomas joking yelled out “that’s bullshit” and threw his empty beer bottle across the bar. The bottle bounced off the front of the bar and harmlessly skipped across the floor. Two bouncers who heard the commotion jumped up and angrily charged over. I watched their hearts sink as they eyed up Thomas. Then they slunk around to my back shoulder and whispered “could you please take your friend home, we don’t want any trouble”. I assured them he was harmless but I don’t think they wanted to risk it. Little did those bouncers know he’s about the kindest and most friendly guy they could ever meet…
BIG JOHN ROBERTS
First saw Wick as this white guy with a baldhead who loves football, so I accepted him as my friend, come to find out through his postings he is like a Brother to me, I am a Whippets fan because of him, Wick is not naive, but he doesn't see color, and that's why I'm glad he,'s my friend for life!!
BETH
My story is about Thomas telling stories. Every Christmas breakfast, cousin birthday party, family reunion, or just hanging out by the pool, Thomas always has a story or two, or ten to tell! He knows how to keep an audience captivated and fill a space with laughter. The latest story he told over Thanksgiving was how he named their cat Amazing Larry after a character in the movie Pee-Wee's Big Adventure...Pee-Wee says, "Exhibit B, another photograph. What's missing from this picture? It's just me, without my BIKE! (Amazing Larry taps on someone's shoulder and says something.) Pee-Wee responds with, "Is there something you can share with the rest of us Amazing Larry?"
5 Things You May Not Know About Thomas:
1. Thomas, my sister, and I would wake up around 4:30 am on Christmas morning and play the board game, "Star Wars Escape from Death Star" until my parents would wake up to open presents.
2. Thomas would play with Star Wars figurines and his Millennium Falcon behind our couch. My sister and I would tease him that he is playing with Barbie's back there.
3. Thomas had many stuffed toys that he would always carry around with him.
4. Thomas would climb into my mom's lap to get out of trouble. We use to call him such a brown noser and mama's boy.
5. My sister and I had to always clean his room for no apparent reason.
MUMMA
Duct tape. January 15th, 2000.
JERRY
One of my many stories with Thomas: we were driving to a state playoff game about 2 hours away. After listening to a half-hour of Thomas' playlist consisting of only U2 songs, I tried to connect my phone to his car audio system but somehow rendered the system inoperable. I was then subjected to several hours of Thomas' classic stories (e.g. his 48 point WBYA game, Ralph picking someone up and stuffing him in a trash can, etc., etc.
There are not many people that care as much about their family and their community than Thomas. And no one cares more about Downingtown's one and only Football team than Coach Wick.
KEN
After becoming AD at Henderson, I was so proud to be hosting Downingtown for football. Wick made a point to walk around the end zones during pre-game and kicked the pylons so that I had to go back and straighten them up. He did it just to be a pain. Wick and I got into a (fake) argument and I threw him out.
Happy Birthday my friend, it’s hard to believe you are only 50 years old.