[NoHo Arts District, CA] – On Sunday, July 16th, the phenomenal Tom Ormeny passed away.
Tom spent his life making the world around him a better place. He and his wife/life partner, Maria Gobetti, founded The Victory Theatre Center forty-three years ago in 1980, and helped bring over one hundred new plays to life. Countless artists found their voices and artistic paths through Tom’s work. He was a masterful teacher, deeply beautiful actor, the kind of friend everyone hopes to have, and a visionary for the performing arts who left an indelible mark on the Los Angeles theatre community that will live on in perpetuity.
It’s impossible to remember Tom and not speak about his greatest legacy: His love for his wife, Maria. Their’s was the love that only seems to happen in movies or love stories; their love wasn’t a work of fiction, but of daily, deep devotion that impacted all who came within its orbit. Tom was fiercely funny, never wavering in his loyalty, principled and tenacious. He was a mountain of a man who could do literally anything he set his mind to. He built sets at The Victory with his bare hands, only to later use those same sets to bring memorable and moving performances to life in the characters he played onstage.
His theatre credits are impossible to name, there were so many:
Tom had an impressive career in front of the camera, as well as appearing in thirty television series and many films. He was an accomplished teacher having worked for Disney for a number of years coaching their onscreen talent.
Tom loved those around him with all he had and was always making everyone laugh with his quick wit and unique humor. Tom is survived by his wife Maria, brothers Stephen and Gabriel, his beloved dog Star, and an endless list of friends. If the online tributes to Tom’s passing are any indication, the mark he left in this world will live on forever.
May we all strive to live such a profound life that we can look back and see how many people we helped, how deeply we loved, and how the world is better for us having lived.