Integration - Eulogy Moreau FYE 3/3/2022 Reflections on a Life Well-Lived: The Eulogy of As we send Thomas’ funeral pyre out into Duxbury Bay for his soul to go up in flames, let us take a moment to reflect on his life and legacy. Throughout his long, thorough life, Thomas emphasized service to both his family and community, putting his wife and children, as well as those in their moment of need above himself. After attending the University of Notre Dame for his undergrad, where he majored in Science-Business, he pursued a career in medicine by attending medical school and specializing in orthopedic surgery. He followed in the words of Father Hesburgh through his occupation as a surgeon, as he “recognized that we all had a duty to serve and give back to the greater global community.” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christian O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). He found through both his studies and residency that medicine combined the general principles of what makes a good career, as his “Career satisfaction depended in part on how well a person can identify and implement his/her career self-concept, which is comprised of your values, interests, personality, and skills.” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Murelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). Medicine combined inspiration from his personal experiences with injuries as well as inspiration from his late grandfather, who passed in 2020. Throughout high school and college, Thomas suffered various injuries while playing several different sports. He had his first run-in with a hospital and the doctors that would inspire him when he dislocated his kneecap in a freak gym class accident during his sophomore year of high school. When he dislocated his shoulder six weeks into his freshman semester while playing club https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40299/modules/items/143021 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ water polo, he had to undergo his first surgery. He was very impressed with the calm demeanor of the doctors, as well as how they were able to talk him through the procedure, swiftly reconstruct his shoulder, and send him on his recovery journey. After this surgery, he was motivated to follow this career path, keeping in mind both his inspiration and his passion for giving back for others. He always remembered the words of St. Thomas Aquinas who said that, “the crown and summit of the whole of ethical life is what he calls caritas (charity), what the New Testament describes as agape (self-gift).” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). He gave back to those in medical need, who came to him with debilitating injuries and left from his care progressing on their journey to health. In addition to his personal experiences, he was inspired by the life and legacy of his grandfather, who worked as an anesthesiologist in the small community of Auburn, New York. At his grandfather’s funeral in January 2020, he was blown away by some of the stories of his grandfather that he heard from the people who attended. His grandfather would routinely be called in during the middle of the night to work emergency surgeries, and he always treated people with compassionate care and advocated on their behalf. Thomas connected both of these inspirations with his own talents, finding the best career fit for himself. He was routinely described by his mother as always wanting to improve, as “She pointed out how he is extremely competitive with himself, and how he wants to maximize his potential in all of my activities. She found that he was most in the zone under high pressure situations…” (Conversation With My Mother - Moreau FYE Week Five). Surgery combined all of these aspects - personal experiences, inspiration by relatives, and self-driven traits - which led to his career choice and his resulting impact on both his local and global communities. https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/university-of-san-diego/general-chemistry-i/three-key-questions-practice/22313725 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ApQotbxXmZVyLx2BP1UQ5Lx33wASNQ9VULPHp99kUNo/edit?usp=sharing In addition to caring for those in medical need, Thomas was also passionate about giving back to those who were disadvantaged through volunteering for the organization Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos is an organization that supports orphaned and abandoned children throughout Latin America, giving them a place to live as well as an education and needed medical treatment. Thomas became passionate about this cause after visiting the NPH home in Mexico in the eighth grade, as his heart was moved by the generosity of spirit of the children. During a week of bonding, they shared both their affection and minimal possessions. They inspired him to start an NPH club at Duxbury High School, and continue his involvement with the group throughout college and his career. As an orthopedic surgeon, he volunteered on many service trips through the One World Surgery organization at NPH Honduras, performing routine surgeries for the disadvantaged people of Latin America in order to drastically improve their quality of life. These surgeries made profound impacts on the lives of the people he treated, because they were previously not accessible for them because of their extreme poverty. Through this service, he was inspired by both Michael Himes and Aria Swarr, as he saw what he could do to help and serve the global community through his career. St. Thomas Aquinas’ point showed him that “The crown and summit of the whole of ethical life is what he calls caritas (charity), what the New Testament describes as agape (self-gift).” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). By putting the gifts of both his talent and career to use in charity, Thomas was able to fulfill both his mind and his heart. However, since he was only specialized as an orthopedic surgeon, he was not able to help all people on these medical mission trips. Although he was often disappointed leaving these trips because of this, he made sure to remember the words of Aria Swarr, as “(he) began to realize that what I could do was a blessing.” (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr, Grotto Magazine - Moreau FYE https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/university-of-san-diego/general-chemistry-i/three-key-questions-practice/22313725 https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/university-of-san-diego/general-chemistry-i/three-key-questions-practice/22313725 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI3PYEMGGLw Week Six). Since he was able to help those who had skeletal and structural needs, he was still able to make a drastic impact in the lives of hundreds of people throughout the global community. Above all, Thomas was a man of family. He always made sure to keep a healthy balance between both his career and those closest to him, as he centered his schedule around his kids’ events in order to always be there for them. He loved both coaching his kids sports teams or sitting in the audience for concerts and academic extracurriculars. Inspired by those “in Silicon Valley (who) observe an “Internet Sabbath” every week, during which they turn off most of their devices from, say, Friday night to Monday morning, if only to regather the sense of proportion and direction they’ll need for when they go back (to work).” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Eyer, TED - Moreau FYE Week One), Thomas emphasized taking time off of his craft in order to pursue other important life paths and come back to work refreshed. His balance between career and family allowed him to have a significant impact on both his children and patients, giving him significant impact over those he loved and those in need. Overall, Thomas leaves this Earth after making an incredible difference on those who he came into contact with, serving his family through his life at home, patients through his medical career, and disadvantaged people through charity. He was the antithesis of a warning from His Holiness Pope Francis, who said that “People's paths are riddled with suffering, as everything is centered around money, and things, instead of people. And often there is this habit, by people who call themselves "respectable," of not taking care of the others, thus leaving behind thousands of human beings, or entire populations, on the side of the road.” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Thomas looked after others, both literally and figuratively, leaving a lasting legacy of https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-the-only-future-worth-building-includes-everyone-pope-francis https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-the-only-future-worth-building-includes-everyone-pope-francis care onto those he impacted as he transitions into the afterlife. Rest in peace Thomas, you will thoroughly be missed.