Editor’s Apology: This article appeared in the October 2025 Unifier, but by mistake, it was not uploaded to the website at that time. The date on it should read Oct 13, 2025.
Jeanette:
Harold Thomas « Tom » Sievers was born October 9, 1951, in Long Beach CA.
He was a surfer, always, deep in his soul. Tom was a spiritual seeker, and an avid scholar of religious studies. He held Krishnamurti, Plotinus, and the Grateful Dead in high regard. He was a member of The Theosophical Society for over fifty years.
Tom felt very much at home in the EUU, where he served terms as treasurer and secretary over the past 23 years. The acceptance and appreciation he felt within the EUU community greatly enriched his life
Tom loved music, especially rock, and treasured his extensive vinyl collection and his Rectilinear speakers. He was a bug whisperer. Rather than harm insects found inside the house, he’d carefully capture and release them, often by blowing them gently out a window. He was a great friend of cats, and always considered it the finest compliment when one loved him back (which they always did).
Tom lived in California and in Washington, and for the last 25 years, in Germany and France. He shared his path with Jeanette Wild-Sievers for 51 years.
Chet Boyers:
Tom was a good friend. His calm, quiet, reasoned presence was a solid touchstone. There are not many people open to deep discussions ranging from religion, Gnosticism, mysticism, theosophy and history, but we would talk for hours. His broad knowledge of world religions and cultures was amazing. His passing leaves a deep void, but in many of our talks we agreed we’d see each other again in a broader timeline, and I take comfort there.
Martha Hicks:
Tom Sievers is sorely missed by many in EUU and especially by John and me. For nearly 25 years, Tom Sievers and his wife Jeanette have been valuable members of EUU. Whether it was heading the Retreat Committee, volunteering for Religious Education, or writing workshop reports, they were always contributing their time and skills. Tom was At-Large Representative for two years and after that, he took on the post of EUU secretary from 2009 to 2012. He also served as EUU treasurer (2017–2019).
Tom, I think, was probably the most approachable person I have ever met at any large gathering. There was, in his soft, gentle manner, something that pulled you in right away and made any kind of conversation possible. He had that exceptional quality of being interested and interesting.
I remember meeting Tom for the first time. It was soon after his first EUU retreat, which had been in the fall of 2001 in Rolduc, Netherlands. We were waiting for something to begin, and we were both a little impatient that it was taking so long, so we started talking. There was never any pretense with Tom, just an honest frank interest in whatever one cared to talk about. With his ruddy complexion and sun-bleached hair, it was not hard to imagine him as an enthusiastic California surfer in his younger years. I no longer remember what we were talking about, but I do remember that I was disappointed when the event actually started, as I would have preferred to keep on talking with Tom.
My husband John had a similar experience in Basel, Switzerland in 2014. Jeanette and I were occupied with the CC meetings and so Tom and John teamed up to pass the time until the meetings were over. While walking around town, looking in store windows, a little shocked by how expensive things were in Switzerland, they observed people while drinking very expensive beers in a cafe along the river front. John says the afternoon flew by in a second because he had had such a wonderful time with Tom and now he had a new friend.
In August, shortly after our 47th wedding anniversary, Tom and Jeanette invited us to visit them in their lovely country home in the tiny French village of Eaux-Puiseaux. Tom and Jeanette were wonderful hosts. For our anniversary they treated us to a wonderful festive lunch at a nearby historic watermill. Exploring the Champagne-Ardenne areas of Eaux-Puiseaux and Troyes with Tom and Jeanette was really interesting and fun, in spite of the imposed COVID 19 restrictions of 2020. We always wore masks and dealt the best we could with the unrelenting heat. The evenings brought beautiful countryside sunsets to enjoy with our dinner, followed by a stunning starlit sky, (unhindered by city lights) to marvel at. What a treat it was to have no time limits on conversations that went well into the night with a good bottle of French red.
Last year we were extremely saddened to hear of Tom’s health struggles. In the months that followed, we were awed at his will to live and his battle to conquer his illness. We drew inspiration from his positive attitude and his appreciation for all that was being done for him. We felt it a privilege to accompany Tom during this difficult period and were grateful that Tom and Jeanette allowed us to remain in contact with him in his last weeks. Our heart goes out to Jeanette and Tom’s family and friends. We all have lost a brave and great friend.