“ The victim is very badly injured and the - Forget Me Not Mission

working at breathing in his absence. ”
Tom’s Father Lu remembers....
Labor Day, 1999, when a drunk driver killed his
youngest son, Tom.
“Tom’s gone, but not really. I’m reminded of
him daily by the reminiscent moves and looks of
strangers. A haircut, a smile, a piece of clothing,
a way of walking --simple things--bring back
a glimpse of a young man who was loveable and
loved. The places he lived and worked, the tree
planted by his Special Olympics friends, the tree
planted by neighbors, the skis and surfboard in our
barn, the note left on a post where he died years
later by a friend, are all there as daily reminders.
The son he left whose generous spirit and loving
nature remind us of Tom, are part of our welcome
memory. And so while those memories of him are
still here, for us, some part of Tom remains.”
“I hope you will think of Tom, his unfulfilled
dreams, and the many like him when you have
your next drink.”
-L.J. Rowinski
It was 7:00 p.m. that extraordinarily beautiful Labor
Day, after Tom had visited his parents and barbecued
chicken with more dear friends, that Tom was riding his
motorcycle out the Steese highway to visit his brother.
As he crossed Farmer’s Loop Rd/Fairhill Rd. on a
green light, Kim Mueller, who had spent the day
drinking in a bar in Fox, turned his truck across the
Steese, in front of Tom with the usual truck versus
motorcycle result.
The one commitment of his heart that
remained ever constant in his adult life
was his love for his son, Tad.
Nationally, the average BAC for a first offender was .16, and .18
for a repeat offender.
CRASH DETAILS
Victim:
Date:
Location:
Drunk Driver:
Blood-Alcohol
Level:
Tom Rowinski
9-6-1999
Steese Hwy
& Farmers’
Loop,
Fairbanks
Kim Mueller
.215
Tom at his son’s high
school graduation
104