A local legend of Jamaica Plain
A local JP legend and Boston institution unto himself Tom passed away in Boston on October 13.
Originally from Dorchester, Thomas “Tom” James O’Malley Jr. was a son of the city, even though he spent much of his childhood in Braintree. Tom is survived by his wife of 35 years, Beverly Arsem; three children: Thomas Wheeler O’Malley (Jennifer O’Malley) of Springfield, New Jersey, Queen Arsem-O’Malley (Gonzalo Riva) of Brooklyn, New York, and Daniel Arsem-O’Malley (Bethany Blamphin) of Boston; and three beloved grandchildren: Sylvia, Thomas, and Nikola. One of eight O’Malley siblings, Tom is survived by five sisters, a great many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and innumerable close friends.
Tom was a 1968 graduate of the Sacred Heart High School in Weymouth, where he was named MVP of the baseball team. He volunteered to join the U.S. Army shortly afterward, attending foreign language school at Fort Dix before serving in Vietnam; he was stationed outside Saigon as an Army MP from 1970-72.
After being honorably discharged, Tom returned to Massachusetts and began traveling across the country hitchhiking and freight train-hopping before eventually graduating from Boston State College in 1974.
Tom dedicated his professional career to community development and creating affordable housing in Boston. He was an early staff member at the Urban Edge Housing Corporation and then spent over a decade with the Boston Redevelopment Authority (now BPDA) under his mentor, the brilliant Steve Coyle. His work helped develop at least 4,000 affordable housing units, particularly in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Chinatown, and the South End. He spanned the mayoral administrations of Ray Flynn and Tom Menino with a quick laugh, a long story, and a passionate advocacy for the people of Boston.
His work could take him far away, too: in 1992, he traveled to Uzbekistan as a representative of the BRA, part of the first foreign delegation to Tashkent after Uzbek independence from the Soviet Union. After many years of visiting New Orleans in a personal capacity, Tom’s work for the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust took him to the city full-time after Hurricane Katrina to support recovery development efforts. In his role as Senior Vice President and Director of the New England Regional Office, he facilitated community-centered development projects that utilized 100% union labor. The role was a culmination of a lifetime of support for organized labor, dating back to his father and grandfather’s unionized positions as longshoremen and stevedore clerks on the docks of Boston.
Tom was a pillar of the Jamaica Plain community for more than 50 years. He was involved in organizing around stopping I-95 during the People Before Highways campaign in the 1970’s and 80’s, and was proud of his role in helping to establish the Southwest Corridor as both parkland and public transit. He spent many years on the board of Friends of the Kelly Rink, advocating for a permanent ice skating rink so that children in JP and Roxbury could have access to skating lessons. He was also a longtime coach and supporter of Regan Youth League baseball.
Tom was also a fixture at sporting events across Boston but especially Fenway Park and Boston Garden, attending ALCS, World Series, and Celtics championship games over the years. Tom also enjoyed traveling both far and wide, cherishing his time in Christmas Cove, Maine and Dennisport, Cape Cod. He loved adventures of all types, especially seeing live music, going to museums, birdwatching, and visiting his grandchildren.
All are welcome to attend a celebration of life on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the NACA Office, 225 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA from 2 to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to a charity of your choice; share your own good fortune with others.
Family memorial service will be held at Clancy-Lucid Funeral Home, 100 Washington Street, Weymouth, MA. on Friday, November 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. Relatives and friends respectfully invited. For messages and directions, please visit clancylucid.com.