Thomas L. “Tom” Carman

Thomas L. “Tom” Carman

November 20, 1948 – July 9, 2019

Longtime educator at Westside High School. Tom loved being with his family and friends.  He enjoyed traveling, listening to music, keeping up on world news, and wine!

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dwayne and Geraldine Carman.  He is survived by his wife, Jan; children: Jordan Moseman (Zeb), Matthew Meehan (Kerri), and Jennifer Selfridge (Josh); grandchildren: Kaelyn, M.J., Ryleigh, Henry, Derin, Leo, Rohry, and Shepard; sister, Lori Churchill (Toby); brother, Dan Carman (Kelly); sister-in-law, Lynette Arnold (Todd); many nieces, nephews and friends.

CELEBRATION OF TOM’S LIFE: Saturday, July 20th from 5pm to 8pm at the West Center Chapel.  Memorials are suggested to the Westside Foundation, 1101 South 90th Street, Omaha, NE  68124.

12 Comments

  • Mark Waring Posted July 11, 2019 2:02 pm

    I was WHS class of 1975. Mr Carman was my AP history teacher. I still have a strong love of history inspired by Mr Carman.

  • David Probst Posted July 11, 2019 3:44 pm

    To Dan and Lori and the rest of the family. I am so sorry to hear about Tom’s passing. He was a great educator and inspired many to become history buffs. May he rest in peace.

  • dennis birnstihl Posted July 15, 2019 5:21 pm

    So sorry for your loss.I lost track of Tom after high school,but we sure had great times there.

  • Westside Human Resources Posted July 16, 2019 3:45 pm

    Sending our thoughts and prayers to comfort your family during this time of mourning. Our deepest condolences.

  • BRIAN CARMODY Posted July 17, 2019 10:59 am

    Sorry to hear about your family’s loss. Our thoughts are with your family.

  • Kelly (McGlynn) Notarfrancesco Posted July 18, 2019 10:40 am

    Dear Carman Family,
    I was sad today when I learned of Mr. Carman’s recent passing. He was one of my favorite teachers at Westside and I have fond memories of the interesting discussions we’d have during AP History. I maintain a fascination with American history today, thanks to Mr. Carman’s expert instruction. Thank you for sharing him with so many Westside students. Our lives were made better because of him.

  • Tammy Trahan Posted July 18, 2019 9:19 pm

    My sympathies to the Carman family. Much Love and prayers

  • John Graff Posted July 19, 2019 8:36 am

    I’m sorry to hear of Tom Carman’s recent passing and want to express my condolences to Tom’s family and friends. Tom was a great educator, friend, and affected the lives of many people. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Tom for many years at Westside and appreciated his passion for teaching. His enthusiasm, ability to articulate, and range of knowledge always impressed me. I have many memories of time spent with Tom in conversation, our many travels together, and getting to know him well. Tom had a remarkable life, influencing generations of students, educators, and members of the Westside community and he will be missed.

  • John Crook Posted July 19, 2019 3:00 pm

    I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Tom Carman. Tom was an outstanding teacher for many years at Westside High School. He had high expectations for his students and held each of them accountable for their learning. Tom was gifted at leading classroom discussion on history as well as current events.
    I enjoyed working with Tom and always had a great deal of respect for him personally. He was a friend and a colleague and will be greatly missed.
    Sincerely,
    John D. Crook
    Retired Principal, WHS

  • Robb Gage Posted July 19, 2019 6:08 pm

    Condolences to the Carman family. Mr. Carman taught me everything. He was a great teacher and an amazing friend who kept up, reached out, and was always there many years after Westside. I feel truly blessed and honored for the time I spent with Mr. Carman. A truly remarkable man…he will be missed.

  • Richard D. Brown Posted July 19, 2019 11:39 pm

    Tom was an outstanding communicator and engaging social studies educator who touched so many lives over this more than three decades at Westside High. He had a passion for the courses he taught and challenged his students to see the relevance for the social sciences and how that curriculum could be applied to the present day. He was a former president of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, and he was always willing to share his expertise with K-12 social studies teachers statewide. He also presented at conferences of the National Council for the Social Studies. He viewed learning via inquiry and something that always needed another building block or contemporary interpretation. Those of us from other school districts were always impressed by his knowledge and energy level. He was one of several legendary social sciences teachers at Westside High who taught with focus and effectively impacted students beyond belief.

  • Jennifer L Krider Posted August 22, 2020 8:01 pm

    Mr. Carman was my AP History teacher. He was absolutely one of my hardest teachers and hands down one of my favorites. I learned something in every class and, more importantly to him he would say, I learned how to think about it. He was that perfect mix of cool and strict; we could eat and chew gum in class, have discussions without raising our hands but don’t you dare complete homework with only half effort. He shaped how I thought about history and how I view its role in the world. I am so blessed to have known him in my educational career.

Sign Guestbook

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *