Thomas Robert Pahys

Thomas Robert Pahys passed away peacefully on December 12, 2023, at his home in Charleston, South Carolina, with his family at his bedside. 

Born in 1947 in Westlake Ohio, Tom was an avid Cleveland sports fan. He met his wife, Kathy (Ames), while attending Case Western Reserve University.  They married the week after graduation and continued their adventure together in Washington DC, where he attended American University Law School.  Tom and Kathy returned to Lakewood, Ohio, to raise their children, Kristin and Josh, and remained there until retiring to Charleston, South Carolina, in 2019.  

Tom lived through his faith.  He loved his family unconditionally, always listening and leaving a positive imprint.  Tom particularly loved family vacations to the beach, where he would float peacefully on the waves, stroll the beach with Kathy, build sandcastles with his children, then grandchildren, indulge in a nap on the warm sand on his itchy wool ΔKE fraternity blanket, and end each day with a beer and a smile surrounded by those he loved.  At home, Tom looked forward to a round of golf each week with his lifelong friends, John and Tom, at Hilliard Lakes. He loved cruising down Lake Road on his Harley and taking a snooze in his hammock on the porch he built himself.  He was an attorney for the entire community, lending advice to anyone in need at any hour for 45 years, and still always made time to volunteer extensively for St. Luke’s Church.  An English major to his core, he was a stickler for proper grammar, and never let any error slide by, no matter how small. Yet he signed every handwritten letter in his trademark scrawl, “Keep Smiling!!” as a signal not to take anything too seriously.  Tom was the epitome of service before self and was deeply loved and depended on by his extended family and friends. 

Tom was a loving husband of Kathy for 54 years, brother of Cheri, devoted father of Kris (David Schulte) and Josh (Jenny), and fun loving grandfather of Samantha, Mia, Gemma, Charlie, and Ellie. 

A private service will be held with his immediate family and friends are welcome to make a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in his honor, or perform a random act of kindness to someone in need as he did every day of life.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at www.mcalister-smith.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833.