Tom Birmingham

Chelsea lost one of its greatest-ever citizens this past week with the passing of Tom Birmingham, a lifelong resident who rose to the highest-echelons of state government when he served as President of the Massachusetts Senate from 1996-2002. Tom Birmingham was a Chelsea boy through-and-through. He grew up on Essex St. in a triple-decker,  the son of John and Agnes (Agnes was a popular employee for many years in the city auditor's department) with his sister Nancy and younger brother Jimmy. He attended the Shurtleff School, played Little League baseball, and participated in the summer park leagues, and it was at Quigley Park where he came to know his future wife, Selma Botman, while both were still in elementary school.