MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — In a Saturday service, the son of Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-D) was memorialized following his death at the end of 2020. Raskin did speak at his son's memorial among hundreds that attended
The service was held outside, with many people who attended the memorial event while being socially distant from their cars (like at a drive-in movie) amid an ongoing pandemic that has captured hundreds of thousands of lives in the U.S.
Thomas "Tommy" Raskin died on Dec. 31 at the age of 25.
Tommy's obituary highlighted him as someone who loved soccer, was a committed vegan and who loved animals. Additionally, it also speaks to his dedication to serving others while growing up -- from serving as a tutor at Montgomery Blair High School's tutoring to becoming a teaching assistant at Harvard University.
"Tommy Raskin had a perfect heart, a perfect soul, a riotously outrageous and relentless sense of humor, and a dazzling radiant mind," his parents wrote in a Medium post.
Later in the obituary, it explains that Tommy was "tortured" by a "blindingly painful and merciless disease called depression," and that, despite a strong support network of his loving family, friends, and doctors, "the pain became overwhelming and unyielding and unbearable" for the "young man of surpassing promise to our broken world."
“On the last hellish brutal day of that godawful miserable year of 2020, when hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions of people all over the world died alone in bed in the darkness from an invisible killer disease ravaging their bodies and minds, we also lost our dear, dear, beloved son, Hannah and Tabitha’s beloved irreplaceable brother, a radiant light in this broken world," his parents wrote.
“He left us this farewell note on New Year’s Eve day: ‘Please forgive me. My illness won today. Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me. All my love, Tommy.’”
The family said in their original statement on Dec. 31 that they are grateful for the outpouring of support and love from neighbors, constituents, and friends but asked everyone to observe strict COVID-19 protocols during this time of grief.
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