Tom Cote-Merow passed away after a valiant battle with congestive heart disease. Born September 27, 1946 in Worcester, Mass. and raised in Roslyn and Garden City on Long Island, N.Y., Tom graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor of science in science education. It was while on Long Island that he met and married his wife, Jan.
After teaching junior high and high school science, Tom continued to indulge his lifelong passion for all things automotive. Tom was owner and president of RX Trix, a high-performance automotive service facility on Long Island while he pursued an avocation as racecar driver in the IMSA amateur race circuit in the Northeast. Following a move to New Jersey, Tom was the service manager of Honda and Mazda dealerships and then principal of the automotive program at Lincoln Tech in New Jersey. He also volunteered as the lighting director for local theater productions in which his wife performed.
A vacation in Fernandina Beach lured him from clearing acres of snow at his home in New Jersey to sunny Amelia Island, which he now called home. After his move, he worked with at-risk youth in several different programs as a juvenile officer and vocational instructor. He was very active as president of the Lakewood Homeowners Association and became a mainstay of the annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, with its exhibition of cars of the world, including Tom’s favorites – Corvettes, Ferraris and Alfa Romeos.
In 2009, Tom became the founding member and president of Auto Legends Amelia, a car club that meets monthly and fulfills Tom’s mission of bringing together all people who have a love of autos, especially any that are unique or legendary.
Tom was also an active, impassioned and involved member of the Amelia Island community, and attended city and county meetings on a regular basis, speaking up on behalf of senior citizens and voicing his concerns about environmental issues that affect the future of the community such as preservation of Egans Creek, Crane Island, the wetlands and Amelia Island’s tree canopy. He and Jan fostered several Cats Angels cats to socialize them and prepare them for their forever adoptive homes.
He and Jan were able to enjoy travels to Europe, the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mayan ruins and cross county trips that included California, Outer Banks, Blue Ridge Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Bar Harbor, Big Sky, Glacier Park, Sedona, Aspen, Vail, Lake Tahoe, Yellowstone National Park and all the beautiful Florida springs.
This loving and devoted husband, son, brother-in-law, caring friend, ardent activist, keen car collector, restorer and enthusiast and dedicated teacher and mentor is survived by his wife, Jan, Amelia Island; his brother-in-law, Ronald, Holiday, Fla.; and family and friends all over the map, who will always fondly remember him and his kind heart and helpful advice and guidance and who will always be grateful for the joy and privilege of having known him and delighting in his company.
On August 29, his wife, Jan, is holding a celebration of Tom's life in concert with Amelia Tree Conservancy at a meeting to be held at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club at 6:30 p.m. to honor Tom's advocacy of saving the tree canopy, saving Crane Island, preserving Egans Creek and the wetlands – all causes ATC supports as well. This memorial will enable people who attend to be introduced to this group and continue Tom's legacy into the future.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, a program that helps youth get their lives back on track which is a cause that Tom supported quite strongly, by visiting bit.ly/2vJWaCT, or to Cats Angels by visiting bit.ly/2vjdEUb, or to Amelia Tree Conservancy by visiting bit.ly/2vKakUh.