Thomas J. Maloney - An Inspirational Obituary

As I mentioned in my post on Sam Herscovitz, I enjoy reading the obituary section of the Chicago Tribune.

It has a lot of interesting and inspirational articles that can teach you about history.

Yesterday, I saw the obituary of Thomas J. Maloney. Like Herscovitz, Maloney wasn't a celebrity, but his life was noteworthy enough for a Tribune reporter to write about him.

Maloney's life is inspirational and teaches these lessons:

1. It's never too late to pursue your dreams - After 5 years in the Navy, and 20 years in the New York Police Department, Maloney became a high school history teacher.

2. You aren't "too busy" to achieve - Maloney and his late wife had 7 sons and 5 daughters over 22 years. Yet, while he was a police officer, he attended college at night and served as a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve. Later, as a high school history teacher, he managed to also teach criminal justice at a community college.

3. Have a longtime goal apart from work - Maloney had a longtime goal of visiting all 50 states. In the last couple of years, he completed the goal by visiting New Hampshire and Vermont.