Thomas McGovern (“Tom”) died peacefully on July 2, 2025, at Atria Woodbriar Park in Falmouth.
He was born in 1927 into a large Irish family in Jersey City, N.J., where he was one of five children. He grew up in hard times, and started working as soon as he could to help his family. He liked to tell the story of how he altered his age on his birth certificate to be able to work in the railroad yard.
Always the storyteller, he wrote and published his short stories, poetry, and several plays until his death.
Tom had various talents, interests, and careers. After his ordination in 1954 from Maryknoll Seminary, he served for many years as a missionary in East Africa.
He returned to New York City, where he began his teaching career. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University, and met his wife-to-be, Barbara. They moved to Connecticut, where they both taught at local high schools, Tom as a guidance counselor.
In 1980, they relocated to Seattle, Wash., to help run Barbara’s family bookstore, Beatty Books, a renowned used and antiquarian bookstore. They moved back to the East Coast in 2006 to be closer to family.
As they became members of Woodrise Condos, St. Barnabas’ Church, book groups, writers’ groups, and poetry groups, and volunteered at Falmouth Hospital, Falmouth became home.
Barbara passed away in 2018; they had been married for 48 years.
Tom will be remembered by all who knew or met him as someone with a great sense of humor. His quick wit –– always joking and sharing a laugh!
CapeNews.net interviewed Tom in 2020, and declared that Tom McGovern was ”a gentleman, scholar, and wordsmith”: a fine way we can remember him.
Tom is survived by his nephews, Mark Mancuso, Dave Mancuso, and Peter Fenty, along with his two stepdaughters, Candy Dell and Kelly Hill.
There will be a graveside service on Monday, July 28, at 10 am in Oak Grove Cemetery on Pacific Avenue in Oak Bluffs. Visit chapmanfuneral.com for the online guestbook and information.
