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Students pay tribute to Tom

Tom Clark died in February this year aged just 47. The father-of-three died from motor neurone disease in the final year of his Social Work course at the University of 海角直播. However, family and friends will remember Tom at today鈥檚 1.15pm graduation at Middlesbrough Town Hall. Tom has been awarded a posthumous Diploma in Higher Education, which will be collected on the stage by his wife, Bridget.

Tom was born in Lanark but moved to Billingham when he was ten and later moved to Scarborough. He first worked for the Inland Revenue, where he met Bridget. Tom changed roles, working first as a Building Society Manager and finally as a group leader in a children鈥檚 residential home. He and Bridget had three children, Jane (21), Tom (19) and Matt (16). Tom鈥檚 mother Elizabeth still lives in Billingham, where Tom stayed during his part-time course. She will also attend today鈥檚 ceremony. Tom was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in August 2004. Donna Foster, 38, from Middlesbrough, was one of Tom鈥檚 many friends on the course. She said: 鈥淭om will be very much in our thoughts today; we鈥檒l be having a drink for him. He was so determined to finish the course and get some form of recognition. Tom was a genuine caring man with a sense of decency. He put his family above anything else; he used to say 鈥業鈥檓 doing this for my family as well as me鈥�.鈥�

Course tutor Wade Tovey added: 鈥淎ll staff and students respected and admired Tom from the outset and we all very much wanted him to succeed. Tom had virtually completed the course when he tragically died. We are all privileged to have known Tom and are all so pleased that his wife will come to collect this award.鈥�

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