L. Thomas Fortune
Dan McClelland
On January 5, 2023, Leon Thomas (Tom) Fortune embarked on a new adventure, departing from us and forging a new trail into the wilderness, to parts unknown. Tom was a lifelong resident of Tupper Lake. Tom was born on June 26, 1930 to Louis Thomas Fortune of Standish, NY and Vera I. Carleton McBride of Tupper Lake, NY. The McBride family was one of the earliest settlers in the area, arriving in the 1850’s.
Tom grew up in Faust (downtown) and attended the HGA and TLCS. He completed a year at Crane Music School in Potsdam before entering the army and serving as a Supply Sergeant 1st Class in the Korean War. Upon his return to Tupper Lake, he joined the family business, started by his father after WW I in 1920 as a variety store, which evolved into Fortune’s Hardware. The business has been serving the community for over 100 years. In 1956 he married his beautiful bride, Denise Marie Claire Toupin of Montreal, Canada and during their amazing 67 years together, raised four children.
Active in the community, he served on the TL Rescue Squad, Big Tupper Ski Patrol for 17 and 25 years respectively and was a Trustee on the Board of the Tupper Lake National Bank. He loved music and was a member of the Fire Dept. Band as well as several community bands, playing both the clarinet and saxophone in parades and other local events. An avid outdoorsman, he climbed the ADK’s 46er twice, the second round during the winter months. Besides hiking, he hunted, snowshoed, x-country and alpine skied, canoed, kayaked, and waterskied (sometimes on his hydrofoil). Over the years he garnered many medals, plaques and ribbons in X-Country ski events and mentored Maurice and Gisele to do the same. Canoe races with Andre were also a favorite challenge at which they both excelled. In his early years, he learned to fly and owned a yellow Piper Cub before he got his first car. He relished taking his unsuspecting family and friends on 20-mile epic journeys on Sunday, his one day off. He knew every mountain, trail and waterway for miles around. His knowledge of the area extended to all families in Tupper, knowing names, family history, faces and dates that no one else knew. (Ancestry.com had nothing on him)! People used to bring in photos of people and places for him to help identify.
Tom purchased the store from his father and ran it for many years, later bringing in his sons, Andre and Maurice as partners and expanding it in 1996, doubling the original footprint. At age 75, he claimed to have retired, but continued to frequent the store to visit with customers and friends and be on hand to troubleshoot and share good hunting stories, pranks and jokes. His customer service was second to none and he never gave a second thought about helping someone in need, delivering water heaters on his one day off or at some early morning hour. During his free time, he could be found outdoors chopping wood, clearing trails and maintaining his property. He worked hard and played hard. He was generous of spirit and loved his family and friends and customers, many becoming life-long friends.
Tom was pre-deceased by his sister, Catherine Beaudet and grandson, Ryan Murdock. He is survived by his wife, Denise Fortune, his sister, Vera A. Fortune Concilio, his four children: Helene Murdock (Alan), Andre Fortune (Cheryl), Maurice Fortune (Fran) and Gisele Fortune as well as 7 grandchildren, Lyndsay and Alicia Murdock, Benjamin and Olivia Fortune and Jessica, Caitlyn and Stephanie Fortune. He is also survived by his nephew, Steven Beaudet and nieces Julianne and Lisa Beaudet.
Calling hours will be held at Frary Funeral Home, Tupper Lake, NY on Friday, January 13, 2023 between 11 and 1 p.m., followed by Mass at St. Alphonsus Church at 1:30 p.m. Friends and Family are welcome to a reception following Mass at 30 Lake Simond Road. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the TL Rescue Squad and Fire Department. A spring internment will follow in May, the date to be determined.