Thomas Chester Kozs

Thomas Chester Kozs (Kozakevitch) died on March 25th 2015 at his home in Sedona, AZ with girlfriend of seven years Lynn Zubal. Tom was born in Brooklyn New York on December 29, 1954, his parents were Chester Henry and Maria Kozs. Tom lived in Greenpoint near his father, aunt and uncle Joe and Helen Carroll, grandmother Josephine Kozakevitch wife of Augustine, now deceased. Tom grew up with many close friends in Greenpoint and graduated from Saint Stanislaus Kostka high. Tom completed his degree at Hunter College which he began his career as a librarian with the New York public library. Tom spent over twenty years with the New York public library and still has many friends working there. The customers at the New York library called him a super hero because of his efficient skills as a librarian. Tom was a seasonal worker at Mt. McKinley which help build his love for the west. Tom discovered areas which he had only read about from authors such as Kerowack, Abby, and Krakauer. Tom moved out west in his late forties to explore all of the southwest including Mexico. He loved the west just as much as he loved reading. Burroughs, Hunter Thompson, Woolf, other numerous authors he embellished. Music was Toms other love. Growing up in New York he attended many concerts at Schaefer Music Festival, attended night clubs, and other venues. Favorite musicians Tom enjoyed were Griffith, Newman, Waits, Sinatra, and many other spreading across various styles of music.
Politics was another favorite subject of Toms. He expanded his knowledge of politics with very detail, vast, and accurate collection of ideas helping his understanding of every issue which gave him capabilities of presenting a strong debate to anyone who would challenge him.
Fan of the Yankees, Giants, New York Times, concession stand hot dogs, greasy pizza, Tom was a true New Yorker. Tom loved his father who raised him alone and told people Everyone is out of step, but my Tommy. If you met Tom his warm, vibrant, personality would surprise you and make you smile. Tom had a sense of compassion, intelligence, and off the wall humor. He had a unique personality which many of us enjoyed. Toms heart was as large as the harvest moon and those who knew him were greatly blessed to be in his presence a treasure that could never be valued. Being his girlfriend to be loved by this man is a love that cannot exist in heaven or on earth. A love which cannot be explained. A love Shakespeare has never written, existing poetry had never clarified or known. When I was loved by Tom it was my own. If I was guaranteed to see him in the afterlife I would not be writing this column. I live only to hold the last shirt he wore with his remaining scent and hope the pain will fade and the night in my heart once again becomes day.