Artist, woodworker, loving husband and father

William Thomas “Tom” McGeachy, a former Claremont resident, died in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 12, 2014. He was 63.

Born in Bozeman, Montana in 1950, he attended Montana State University. In 1977, he married Susan Cohn. The couple moved to Claremont in 1977 and to Hawaii in 1988, where he lived until he died.

Mr. McGeachy was a renowned artist and fine woodworker, whose work has been featured throughout Hawaii and the mainland. There was little he couldn’t do. Skilled at cabinetry and at laying tile, he renovated countless kitchens and bathrooms. He prided himself on a niche talent, painting faux-finish switch plates to perfectly match existing marble, granite or wood. He also created fine architectural woodwork in custom houses that most notably included the Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Kamuela. 

Mr. McGeachy was an expert at crafting wood-carved or painted signs, showing a genius for combining fonts and imagery to convey the essence of a business. He also crafted many heirloom-quality objects, like handmade chests made of fine wood such as Hawaii-native Koa cedar and hand-painted carvings of island flora.

Mr. McGeachy, who had a passionate love of nature and music, spent 25 years working on the family home in Kona.

Mr. McGeachy is survived by his wife Susan McGeachy, by his daughter Emily Cosgrove of Billings, Montana, and by his sons, Miyan McGeachy of Los Angeles and Jason Schutz of Bozeman, Montana.

A service and party will be held on Friday, June 27 in Kona, Hawaii in Mr. McGeachy’s honor. Contact Susanmcgeachy@gmail.com or (808) 325-7576 for details.