Thomas Lewis Minichiello Jr. was born on 23 October 1948 to Thomas Lewis and Margaret Agnes (Collins) Minichiello in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Thomas, or Tom as he was affectionately called, grew up in the North End of Portsmouth. The North End was Portsmouth's "Little Italy" as many immigrants settled there. Thomas' mother stayed home to raise him and his sister while his father worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Thomas welcomed a sister (Margaret) Rose on 21 August 1955. They developed a close bond that lasted until his last days. Thomas and his sister grew up on Russell Street. The North End neighborhood no longer exists as all the homes and stores were demolished in the 1970s. There is currently a memorial in the Norh End that honors the Italian immigrants who settled in Portsmouth with engraved surnames on it.Thomas' parents made sure that he received the best possible education. He attended Saint Patrick School in Portsmouth. His mother and grandmother had also gone to Saint Pat's. In fact, his sister and three nephews continued the traditon. Thomas graduated from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover as valedictorian of his 1966 class. He went on to study at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. There, he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor's degree and later a Master's degee in history. Thomas was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Phi Beta Phi Society, Pi Gamma Mu Society and Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity. He also served in the University of New Hampshire Student Senate and worked at WUNH as a disc jockey.
Thomas began his teaching career in Nashua, New Hampshire in 1971. He taught at Fairgrounds and Spring Street junior high schools. He joined the staff on Nashua High School (currently called Nashua High School South) in 1979, where he taught United States History and Military Strategy until 1995. Thomas was also the coach of Nashua High School's Granite State Challenge team as well as its Quiz Bowl team.
He held membership in the Nashua Teachers Union and the National Historical Society. He also was a member of the First New Hampshire Regiment of the Bicentennial.
Thomas was very proud of his three nephews. Michael Allan Sunderlin Jr. was born on 17 May 1975. Sean Michael Sunderlin was born on 21 August 1984. Eric Thomas Sunderlin as born on 20 July 1990. Thomas was also the Godfather to each of his nephews. He would have been very happy to know his great-nephew Thomas Sean Michael Sunderlin who was born on 13 October 2007.
Thomas was a big music lover. He enjoyed listening to all types of music and had a huge vinyl and compact disc collection. When he heard songs on the radio, Thomas could tell you when the song was popular and wht he was doing at that point in time. He enjoyed going to concerts, whether it be Frank Valli, Tina Turner John Mellencamp, Rod Stewart or Bruce Springsteen. One time, Thomas met Del Shannon at a fast food restaurant. When he went up to get an autograph and speak with him, Del Shannon was very surprised that anybody even knew him.
Thomas was also a huge baseball fan. He attended the 1961 All-Star Game with his father at Fenway Park in Boston, which ended in a tie after nine innings due to rain. It was, until 2002, the only All-Star Game to end in a tie. In the early 1990s, he visited Fenway Park with his nephew Mike and good friends for the first time in many years to see the Red Sox play. Thomas had a vast collection of autographed baseballs and commemmorative plates, which he proudly displayed in his home.
Thomas had many good friends, ranging from former colleagues to former stuents. He developed a kinship with a former student named Andy Horton, with whom he shared the same birthday. Each year, they would have lunch together and celebrate their birthdays. Thomas loved to play Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble with friends. Thomas enjoyed his Scrabble games with Cris Stine very much as she proved to be a worthy competitor to him. Some of their games were classic battles to the last tile. Thomas had a great relationship with his boss at Nashua High School, Don Marquis. They had an annual tradition of getting togther for dinner and watching the Miss America pageant. Thomas had a very special relationship with a former school mate named Deborah (Patch) Wilson. They stayed in touch with cards and letters throughout the years and often visited during the holidays.
Thomas enjoyed traveling. He made notable trips to Europe, Africa and Australia. He often dreamed of visting China, but never made it there. Other interests of his included photography, reading, movies, social networking, and talking on the telephone with friends and family. He also loved to visit his hometown of Portsmouth, continuing to make dentist and barber appointments there. He attended masses held for his mother and father at Immaculate Conception Church in Portsmouth, before becoming a member of Saint Patrick Church in Nashua. Thomas loved to drive down by the water when he visited Portsmouth. He would sit there for hours, reflecting on his wonderful life.