Thomas Austin Harryman's Obituary
“For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game.” Those famous words of the great sportswriter Grantland Rice so embraced Tom Harryman, the Muskegon native whose life in the theatre -- and beyond, he played so well. Tom, 69, died in his hometown Saturday, May 14, 2022, after a brief illness. He leaves behind countless friends and loved ones whose own lives he changed and enhanced beyond measure. Thomas Austin Harryman was born April 2, 1953, to Dr. James E. and Elizabeth Harryman. What ensued was almost seven decades during which Tom gained near legendary status as a theatre actor, director and designer, as well as a college educator who passed along his love not only of the stage, but also whatever and whoever else he touched. Upon the news of Tom’s passing, the outpourings of love, loss, gratitude, appreciation and admiration flooded in, by the hundreds, from all over the nation. Tom’s love of the theatre dated to his childhood when he’d scamper through Port City Playhouse on Sanford Street as one of the great class acts -- his mother, a noted actress -- rehearsed on stage. He continued through Muskegon High School, college (MCC, Albion, Boston Conservatory of Music, Bph Thomas Jefferson College at Grand Valley State, and a Master of Arts degree at Antioch College), and as an Equity professional actor. His roles spanned some of the most iconic characters of all time, notable among them Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman,” Oscar Wilde in “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” Edgar in “King Lear,” both Polonius and the Gravedigger in “Hamlet,” Jimmer in “Escanaba in Da Moonlight”, and in two one-man shows he wrote and performed, “Passion and Perversity: The Inner Chambers of Edgar Allan Poe” and, in “A Christmas Carol,” not only Charles Dickens and Ebenezer Scrooge, but also all the characters. His career took him from Muskegon for a bit, with the touring Greg Thompson Productions to such reaches as Seattle, Aruba, Atlantic City, New York City, Bermuda, New Orleans, and even a stint at several Playboy Clubs. He returned to Muskegon in the mid-1980s, where he gained renown as managing director of the historic downtown Frauenthal Center, a run highlighted in the 1990s by his overseeing of the 1930 palace’s restoration to its past grandeur. He also managed Howmet Playhouse, now The Playhouse at White Lake. He became a storied instructor of minds, young and otherwise, at Muskegon Community College which he once attended. He became a devotee and practitioner of the martial arts, particularly tai chi which he both practiced for more than 30 years and taught. He was a tireless champion of Muskegon and its history. Tom and his beloved wife, Francine, were married for 45 years. Exiting for a final curtain, Tom leaves her, his brothers George (Sandi) and Jim, nieces Mandy, Jill, Angela, Sarah and nephew Hudson, more friends than most people can count, and memories that seem without end. A great light has gone out, leaving in its wake a glow and warmth. Celebration of Tom’s great life will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 5:00 – 9:00 PM, with a time of remembrance starting at 6:30 pm, at the Frauenthal Center in Muskegon. Further arrangements have been entrusted to The Sytsema Chapel of The Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Services, 737 E. Apple Ave., Muskegon, MI 49442. Please share memories with Tom’s family on his tribute wall. Tom’s legacy at Muskegon Community College is being honored through a scholarship in his name. If you wish to donate, you may do so at www.muskegoncc.edu/support, or by contacting the Foundation for MCC at (231) 777-0571. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
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