Tom Christer Uusnäkki
April 18, 1954 - July 31, 2011

Just like the bright shooting star that appeared above his house after his death on Sunday July 31st, Tom's life was resplendent in love and friendship built on a multifaceted core of interests, hobbies and work.

Life was an adventure for Tom who was known to his Finnish friends as "Tomppa". Tomppa's journey began in his birthplace in Sippola, Finland as a son to Gunnel and Arto Uusnäkki, who raised him in Lahti during his formative years. He met his wife of 34 years, Anne Uusnäkki at the local disco Nissen Grilli. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree at Kotka Technical College he was hired by Valmet Automation and sent to Kitimat B.C., Canada as a project manager. His job later took him to the Seattle area, where he ended up permanently settling. Eventually, Tom ended up working for Microsoft for nearly a decade, where he met many of his dearest friends. At one point, both Tom and his son Mika worked for Microsoft at the same time. Later, he yearned to try new things and worked for some smaller start-up companies until he was diagnosed with cancer.

The news came in December 2007, just months after his son had moved to Canada for work. The diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer came as a shock to everyone as Tom was always healthy and fit. Together with his wife Anne, they began an intense study of the subject. His doctors were constantly amazed at the depth of his knowledge. He researched every option with diligence and thoroughness. When standard therapies were exhausted, he participated in multiple medical trials. Despite three and a half years of dedicated effort, the cancer finally won.

Tomppa was known for his positive outlook, love of life and his generosity as a friend. Tom and Anne were unanimously known as a friendly, likable and fun loving couple and were thus surrounded by a large circle of friends. Through the years, their deep love for each other was witnessed by everyone. Tom and Anne hosted numerous great parties at their Sammamish home, which were often topped off with a combination of sauna and karaoke. Tom was known for his great cooking skills - his seared tuna and juicy steaks were famous amongst his friends. His love of wine drove him to become an amateur winemaker with his friends. The Wine Group's establishment in 1993 marked the beginning of lasting friendships and an international collaboration that continues today. Tomppa was also an avid traveler, hiker, bicyclist and archer. One of his greatest achievements was the summit of Mt. Rainier on July 21st, 1999. Tom and Anne traveled around the world eating, winetasting and hiking and were especially fond of France and Argentina. Tom kept himself entertained with cars, boats and tinkering with computers with his son. He was also a keen movie buff, always happy to play quoting games. After his 50th birthday he revived his youthful interest in playing the guitar and took up the study of nano technology, artificial intelligence and neuroscience.

Anne was devoted to taking care of Tomppa at their home until the very end. His dignity and comfort were her highest priority at all times. Both Anne and Mika held Tom's hands when he peacefully took his final breath.

Tom is missed by an extraordinary large group of friends and survived by his wife Anne, son Mika, his mother Gunnel, his sisters Anne, Jaana and Martine, and his brother Jari.

Tributes