Residents Forward board member Thomas Havens, 58, of Port Washington, passed away suddenly on Monday, Aug. 27.
Havens was an incredibly warm, caring, sensitive and intelligent person who used his skills and foresight to make the Port community and the world a better place to live. He was a highly respected attorney in the renewable energy sector and was actively engaged in the development of solar, wind and other clean energy projects across the United States. Despite his busy professional life, Havens was still extremely giving of his time and did frequent pro bono work, assisting nonprofits and community-based organizations with solar power and clean energy programs.
“Tom was an attorney in the renewable energy sector, and made it his livelihood to advance the cause of sustainability,” said fellow Residents Forward board member Douglas Marshall of Havens’ impact on Residents. “He brought that passion to his work with Residents, inspiring and challenging us to find ways to make our town more sustainable. His life’s mission is now part of Residents’ mission, and it will be a part of his legacy. Tom was personally responsible for my inclusion to the Residents board, and helped to show me how meaningful it can be to be an active member of one’s community. I’ll always have him to thank for having faith in me that I could do something good and make a difference.”
As passionate as he was about green energy, Havens was first and foremost a wonderful father and husband. He was deeply committed to his family and leaves behind a wife, Robin, as well two beautiful children, Ryan and Jake.
“I’ve had the pleasure to live right next door to Tom for the past four years,” said Marshall. “Tom was genuinely one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I have ever met. He always had such a warm demeanor about him, no matter how busy he was at work, no matter what other problems he was dealing with. He just glowed with friendliness. His deep love of his family was personally inspiring to me, when I saw him with his wife Robin and his son Jake, it would remind me that family is truly the most important thing in life and that we should treasure every moment we have with loved ones. He was so visibly committed to their well-being; it was just a beautiful thing to see firsthand.”
Jake is an engaging non-verbal young man with autism and Havens was his favorite person on earth. The severity of Jake’s condition will require that he receive lifelong 24/7 caregiving and other support. A GoFundMe page was set up for Jake in Havens’ memory.
With a goal of $10,000, the GoFundMe has accumulated more than $50,000 in just a few days. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/tom-havens-memorial.
