Tom was a lot of fun to be around. He was unwaveringly generous about including others in his activities. He was energetic, athletic, and adventurous, interested in many subjects, a good listener, and uncannily adept at drawing others out to talk about themselves. Although generally serious, he often showed a dauntless, deliberate goofiness. It wasn't just that he was funny; it was that so many things seemed funny to him, particularly his own daily life which he invariably described as a hilarious sequence of calamities.

He was a phenomenal and fearless cook, perfectly comfortable trying something the first time at a dinner party for 10. A tiny sampling of his repertoire includes roast goose for Christmas, hand-made bread baked on stone, turkey marinated in brine, jalapeno muffins, beets with garlic aioli, and of course, fruitcake. These were always served to a skeptical, but ultimately appreciative audience. He could whip cream by hand using a pair of forks, and he routinely dried the lettuce by going outside with the lettuce in a dish towel and whirling it around his head. No wonder he was so much fun to be with; he always seemed be having fun himself.

He was an avid runner and mountaineer and had climbed most of the major peaks in the Cascades and Olympics, many times accompanied by his children or nephews.

Ralph Fascitelli, who served with Tom on the board of Washington Ceasefire, said, "Tom was unlike anyone I've ever met. He seemed to have no personal agenda. He only pushed for the common cause. He had these refined sensibilities for music and food and wine, and yet he was also tough as nails, intensely competitive, and fearless."

He also had a knack for getting people to do things they didn't think they could do, whether it was climbing a mountain they didn't think they could climb, or supporting a gun-safety measure they had sworn to oppose. He loved to talk about ideas. He knew he could change minds.

Steve Kidder was a long time friend. "Tommy was the person to whom any one of us could go when something was wrong either with the world or with ourselves. He was always available when someone was down. His presence and companionship were a sanctuary for me and for all his friends. Tommy Wales never left anyone behind."