Tim Considine, or “T. Cons” as many of his hundreds of friends called him, was a funny man known for his quick wit and endless one-liners. He could take a bad day, a moment of anxiety or fear, and lighten the mood with a comment that elicited laughter from everyone in the room. A father of two boys, Timmy and Brian, he never stopped trying to make his children smile. “Top of the morning, Lads,” he’d say to them as they stumbled downstairs in the morning for his famous egg breakfasts. Every night on their way to bed, the three would share in a two-part exchange with Tim saying, “God willing,” and the boys responding, “and the creek don’t rise,” completing together the folk saying, “God willing and the creek don’t rise,” meaning the speaker will complete a task if all goes well.
An accomplished college athlete and Yankees fan, Tim coached Torrington Little League, Torrington Babe Ruth, Pal/Elks Basketball, and basketball at his alma mater, St. Francis School, later renamed St. Peter/St. Francis School. He found time to help paint the school cafeteria, prune trees in the schoolyard, and chair golf tournaments. “Whatever he could do, he would try to help out,” said his wife, Cheryl Considine. “He was everyone’s friend. Everyone knew him, and everyone who knew him considered him a friend.”
“Tim always wanted to help the youth in his community, and that’s where he was really involved. I wanted to give back to them the way Tim would have.”
Tim was known for making people laugh, often so hard that it hurt their stomachs. And, his faith was as big as his funny bone. He grew up attending church with his parents, and he never stopped, always sitting in his favorite pew. “His faith was very important to him,” said Cheryl. “It carried him through his illness and connected him to his community.”
On July 28, 2012, dubbed, “Tim Considine Appreciation Day,” and recognized by Governor Malloy as ALS Awareness Day in the State of CT, an estimated 1,500 people gathered in the rain at Action Wildlife in Goshen to raise money for the Considine boys’ education and to show their support for the Considine family. Tim greeted each and everyone with a smile from his wheelchair.
With Tim’s passing, Cheryl Considine wanted to give back. “I wanted to show the town how much I appreciated everything they did for Tim, me and my children,” said Cheryl. “Tim always wanted to help the youth in his community, and that’s where he was really involved. I wanted to give back to them the way Tim would have.”
Established in October 2012, the Tim Considine Memorial Scholarship Fund awards two $1,000 scholarships to students who, like Tim, have a love of athletics, a strong academic background, a connection to community, and a strong faith. In Tim’s spirit, the Tim Considine Memorial Scholarship Fund will continue to help local youth in perpetuity, “God willing and (whether or not) the creek don’t rise.”
In November 2011, Tim developed a limp; three months later, he was diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. “Thank goodness it isn’t named after a Red Sox player,” Tim quipped. While Tim joked to once again make a stressful situation easier for everyone else, he knew he didn’t have much longer to support his family, be there for his children, and share his time with his community. The community of Torrington reached out to the Considines with food, prayer, goodwill, and countless visits. “The whole town wanted to see him; and he wanted to see them,” said Cheryl. “He wanted them in his life, and they wanted to be there for him.” For months the Considine house was full of support from his faith, family, friends, and most of all full of laughter.
During one of several memorable conversations with his sons, as Tim discussed with them the extent of his illness, he told them: “There are three things that are really important in life: Faith, Family and Friends.” Later that night, his son Brian designed wristbands with his father’s advice printed on them. The bands were ordered and quickly could be seen everywhere in the community. Starting out as solid green for family members, Brian decided to order more in green and white to sell to friends and the community, with all proceeds going to the ALS Association of CT.
On July 28, 2012, dubbed, “Tim Considine Appreciation Day,” and recognized by Governor Malloy as ALS Awareness Day in the State of CT, an estimated 1,500 people gathered in the rain at Action Wildlife in Goshen to raise money for the Considine boys’ education and to show their support for the Considine family. Tim greeted each and everyone with a smile from his wheelchair.
With Tim’s passing, Cheryl Considine wanted to give back. “I wanted to show the town how much I appreciated everything they did for Tim, me and my children,” said Cheryl. “Tim always wanted to help the youth in his community, and that’s where he was really involved. I wanted to give back to them the way Tim would have.”
Established in October 2012, the Tim Considine Memorial Scholarship Fund awards two $1,000 scholarships to students who, like Tim, have a love of athletics, a strong academic background, a connection to community, and a strong faith. In Tim’s spirit, the Tim Considine Memorial Scholarship Fund will continue to help local youth in perpetuity, “God willing and (whether or not) the creek don’t rise.”
