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HOPKINTON – Thomas I. (Tippy) Spinks, 73, of Hopkinton and North Conway, New Hampshire, passed away at his home surrounded by family on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, after a 5-year battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou-Gehrig’s disease).
Born in Framingham and growing up in Saxonville, he was the son of the late Georgia (Spinks) Browne and Jack Patterson.
He was the husband of 41 years to the late Patricia M. (Wallace) Spinks who passed in 2017.
Tip moved to Hopkinton in the sixth grade and lived there the remainder of his life, though he would not call himself a true “townie” having not been born there. He was a National Honor Society student and golf team captain at Hopkinton High School, graduating in 1967. Earning a partial scholarship to Bentley, he attended for one year until he decided to go into the trucking and construction field which better suited him.
He owned and operated Browne Drilling and Blasting Company from 1970, when he purchased it from his stepfather, until 2020 when his sons took over the business due to his symptoms of ALS. Making many friends in this field, he thoroughly enjoyed working with different characters every day.
He served as a call firefighter for the Hopkinton Fire Department for 27 years from 1970 until retiring from active duty in 1997.
He enjoyed being with the guys at the station and the camaraderie they had, making many lifelong friends.
He was also an avid snowplow operator for the Hopkinton Highway Department, a job he very much enjoyed from the late 1960’s until 2018. He was always excited for a big storm in the forecast.
In his leisure time, he enjoyed trips to his vacation homes in North Conway, and Bartlett, New Hampshire, and made countless friends there while enjoying skiing and golfing. Tip loved summer, especially the Fourth of July, and would always like to take part in the parade floats in the early years and spending it in the mountains later on. His fondest days were golfing with his wife Patty and golf partners in the White Mountains and hitting the pub afterward. He also enjoyed photography, especially filming trains. He enjoyed Patriots games and watching sports at Cornell’s after a round of golf. He treasured spending quality time with his family, and hosting many gatherings over the years. Thomas was a wonderful father, never missing a sons’ sporting event and never failing to be a wonderful husband to the love of his life Patty. He instilled a tough, hardworking approach to work in everything he did, making sure it was instilled in his sons.
Thomas is survived by two sons, Jeffrey S. Kenney of Hopkinton and Thomas J. Spinks, and his wife, Bethany of Hopkinton. He also leaves behind his siblings, Robert Browne of Alabama, Stacey Treyble also of Alabama, and his grandson, Anthony James “AJ” Spinks, whom he adored as his little buddy. His brother and sister-in-law, Eugene and Marie Flannery of Hopkinton, sister-in-law, Janet Martin of Rhode Island, and brother-in-law, Steve Wallace of Florida. He leaves many nieces and nephews as well as many friends who will miss him greatly. He is predeceased by his siblings, Andrew Browne and Robin Browne. We would like to send a special thanks to all the nurses, aides, and doctors who cared for him on this journey. We are especially grateful for Tip’s live-in caregiver, Mark Lee, whose compassionate and unrelenting care, kept him comfortable in his home throughout his illness. Special thanks also to Ken Swenson, Tip’s good friend, who was in to visit every week to give him a couple of laughs. We will all miss this amazing smart man dearly.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Chesmore Funeral Home, 57 Hayden Rowe St.
In lieu of flowers, consider donating to the ALS Association (Massachusetts Chapter) https://donate.ma.als.org/
Following calling hours, family and friends are welcome to gather at Cornell’s Irish Pub, 229 Hayden Rowe Street in Hopkinton for food and drinks.
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Norton, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home 
McCarthy McKinney Lawler Funeral Home