Tom OBryan enthusiastically interacts with each student who stops at his cart, which is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
By Samuel Hebestreit
Tom OBryan spent more than eight years at seminary then 42 years working at Catholic universities in Louisville.
No, he wasn’t working as a priest, but as a food service director at Spalding University and now as operator of the Simply To Go Cart in Pasteur Hall, where he has been for the last 21 years.
At 89, he is the oldest person on BU’s campus.
OBryan came to Bellarmine in 2002 after retiring as director of food services at Spalding University four years earlier.
When OBryan started at BU, he was just looking for something to keep himself busy. OBryan was very specific on what he was looking for in the job.
“I don’t want to be responsible for hiring. All I want to do is come in and work and go home. I figured the guy would say, ‘Listen, man.’ Well, he hired me. So, I’ve been here ever since,” OBryan said.
Food services wasn’t always what OBryan wanted to do to make a living. But he knew he wanted to help people.
After deciding that becoming a priest was not for him, OBryan searched for a job that involved helping people, which landed him at the Red Cross.
Working for the Red Cross meant OBryan had to travel overseas. While on a business trip to Japan, OBryan met his wife, Shizuko Uehara, and got married before returning home.
“Back then, they always said interracial marriages don’t work. In fact, I even had one priest who refused to marry us because he said it won’t work. Anyways, it’s now 62 years later, and we’re still going strong,” OBryan said.
OBryan said he would have never guessed that he would end up working at Bellarmine as long as he has. But his presence has a positive impact on campus, some students said.
BU junior Esha Khan said OBryan is an iconic guy on campus due to his encouraging and motivating attitude.
“I remember before my exams, I always come to his cart and I’m like, ‘Ugh, got an exam today, Tom.’ He’s like, ‘You’re going to kill it, young lady.’ Then, I actually believe that I’m going to kill the exam,” Khan said.
For Ronald Soto, it's the wise conversations and stories with OBryan that bring joy.
“I experience Tom every Wednesday getting chili soup,” Soto said. “He has a lot of experiences, so it’s nice to talk to somebody that’s older than you and see how life is, you know, you don’t really get that a lot.”
Not only does OBryan interact with students, but he also shares some of the same interests.
“One specific conversation that started our relationship (was) he was reading a book and I was like, ‘What are you reading Tom?’ and he was like, ‘I’m reading this book.’ And then I recommended one of my favorite books to him and he picked it up. He read it in like a whole week. He read it faster than I did,” Khan said.
For some students on campus, it’s simply the kind words OBryan shares as they pass by that make them happy OBryan is at BU.
“It’s nice to have someone walk by and tell you to have a good day, especially if you’re not having a good day. It’s just nice to have interactions with somebody,” first-year student Hayley Bratcher said.
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