Thomasina C. Hinman

January 22, 1943 - March 21, 2013

Delmar-Thomasina Carse Hinman, of Delmar, died Thursday of heart complications, just two months after celebrating her 70th birthday. Tomi, as she was known, lived a life filled with joy, laughter, courage, challenges, generous acts and unending love for her family, and her constant companion Rocket the Bassador. Petite and with sky-blue eyes and a beautiful smile, Tomi was a third-generation Ulsterwoman, born into a family of feisty and determined Scots-Irish characters, an unsurprising fact considering the Carse family motto is “Nil fatalia terrent” (“Nothing decreed by fate will deter us”). She loved the beach, sun, wind, lighthouses and sky, especially the countless hours she spent at the Huddle Beach in Bolton Landing, family trips to Plum Island, Mass. and special “sister trips” to Cape May. Tomi’s favorite film was “Singin’ in the Rain” and she loved to sing and write poetry. She had hoped to one day author a picture book about Rocket and his many – often naughty -- adventures. Not one to bother with computers and email, Tomi took to sending postcards she called “me-mails.” Her loved ones’ hearts break knowing the last postcard has been sent but they will look for her “me-mails” in the beauty of flowers, the sun twinkling on the sea and what could be the faint sound of laughter or singing on the wind. Tomi attended SUNY Plattsburgh in the ‘60s, where she met her oldest friend, Norma Chesser, who now lives in Texas. Norma smiles recalling her introduction to Barbra Streisand through her roommate’s love of playing Babs’ album “Funny Girl” (over and over and…) Tuition to state schools was free back then and Tomi used her waitressing money to ski the Adirondacks. While skiing the North Creek Ski Bowl in early ‘67, she met a happy-go-lucky ski patrolman named Tony Hinman who mooched some of her sandwich and then proposed six months later, drawn to her natural beauty and love of animals and the outdoors. They married over Labor Day weekend and Tomi taught second grade at Averill Park Elementary School before leaving to become a homemaker and raise their two children. David and Sarah recall their mom’s draconian rules regarding sugar cereals (“they’ll turn your ears green”) and TV (nothing but PBS) but she gave them the gift of reading, a love that blossomed before kindergarten and never stopped blooming. Her most priceless gift to her children was the treasure of a mom who loved them with an overflowing heart. Above all, Thomasina Carse Hinman was just simply good. And so honest that she truly “could not tell a lie.” While running late to see a movie in 1965, she was zipping along in her black Volkswagen Beetle when she was pulled over for speeding. The police officer asked, “Miss, do you know how fast you were going?” Tomi replied, “I don’t know, sir, I was going as fast as I could.” Tomi is survived by her husband of 46 years, Anthony, as well as children Sarah Hinman (Geoffrey) Ryan of Albany, and David Hinman (Karen Grimwood) of Durham, N.C . She is also survived by sisters Catherine Hesler of Rotterdam (widow of Edward, who was a dear brother-in-law to Tomi) and Birdie (Gerard) Rockwell of Great Barrington, Mass.; nephews Ed Hesler of Schenectady, Tim (Wendy) Hesler of Mahopac, Tom (Suzette) Rebull of Fla.; cousins Diana Morgan of Fla. and Jim Carse of New York; the entire Butterfield clan; and niece Lydia Cullinan and her father, John (widower of sister-in-law Debbie). She is also survived by Laurie Northrup, her dear caregiver. She was preceded in death by her mother, Cecelia, who died when Tomi was an infant; her Uncle Charles (Unkie) and Aunt Til, who cared for her after her mother’s death; and her father and stepmother, Thomas and May Carse. She will be greatly missed by the animals in her life, which included her dog, Rocket, the dogs Zoe, Sheena, and Baron as well as cats Chubby, Alley and Mao. Calling hours will be from 4 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, at Lasak and Gigliotti Funeral Home (208 North Allen St., Albany). A funeral service will follow at 7 p.m. A memorial service and interment at Albany Rural Cemetery will take place later in the spring. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be donated to The First Church of Albany (110 North Pearl St., Albany, NY 12207) or pit-bull rescue group Out of the Pits (PO Box 2311, Albany, NY 12220).