Tom Highland, a Jim Thorpe Borough Councilman who began his third term this year, passed away Friday of complications from inhalation injuries suffered in a house fire last May.

The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office confirmed Highland, 61, was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest.

Mayor Michael Sofranko, one of Highland’s closest friends in the borough, said he’ll be remembered as a family man above all else.

“He always put his family first. He cared so deeply about his daughter, his entire family. He was always there for them. Tommy also cared about his church. He was very active with St. John’s Lutheran Church, and that meant a great deal to him.”

Highland had returned to council in January following the fire, which claimed the life of his wife, Lynn.

Tom escaped through the basement and was taken to the Lehigh Valley Burn Center in Allentown with extensive burns. After months of recovery, he was back in person to be sworn in after tallying the most votes, 861, in the November 2021 general election.

“I feel bad because he fought so hard to come back,” Sofranko said. “His glass was always half full. You knew, no matter what was going right or wrong, he always said it was, it’s going to get better. I think what made him so popular as a councilman was that he listened to the people. And then after he listened, he voted and that was it. If you liked it, fine, if you didn’t, OK, that’s fine and maybe we’ll agree on the next topic.”

Before the 2021 election season, council President Greg Strubinger and Highland determined each of them would run again if the other one ran as well. On Saturday morning, Strubinger described Highland’s death as a “gut punch.”

“It’s just that he made it all the way back and I think that’s what makes this more difficult,” Strubinger said. “Tom was really an inspiration to me because after the fire, he had lost so much and he had every reason to step away from local government. But he called me after the election and told me how important it was for him to come back. That was very inspiring.”

At the council table, Highland was a man of few words. For Sofranko, however, he brought value by hearing people out.

“The best thing Tom taught me was how to listen,” Sofranko said. “Tom could sit for hours and listen to you and say few words, but he would listen and he knew exactly what was going on.”

Strubinger also valued Highland’s friendship in addition to being a colleague on council. Often, post-meeting chats on a variety of topics would drag on into the early hours of the morning.

“I can’t tell you how many times he and I would look up at the clock after a meeting and it was 11, 12 or 1 and I was like ‘oh my goodness I have to get up to teach tomorrow,’?” Strubinger said. “But you look back on it now and I think, wow, those are some great memories and I just wish we had more time.”

After the fire, the community rallied around the Highland family with fundraisers drawing massive crowds.

“When they needed to take care of him after the fire, the community came together,” Sofranko said. “I think back to the gun club, when they had a fundraiser out there for his family. They had more volunteers than they even knew what to do with. Tom always knew everybody cared, but it made him want to be even stronger and come back and give back again.”

The community support wasn’t lost on Highland. At January’s council meeting, he was overcome with emotion as he spoke about what it meant to him.

“Words can’t express how grateful I am for everything people have done for me,” Highland said at the time. “I love the people of Jim Thorpe from the bottom of my heart. It’s been so overwhelming.”

Highland Beverages, where Tom was a principal partner, posted a tribute on its Facebook page Saturday morning.

“If the value of a human being is based solely upon how loved and cherished you are by your friends and family, Tom was one of the richest men around,” the business posted. “Your smile and your giving heart will be missed. You will be missed.”

The business, Sofranko said, was so important to Highland, but it went far beyond the bottom line. Whether it be baptisms, graduation parties, weddings or any other special occasion, he went out of his way to make sure everything was taken care of and done right.

“If you think back to when we had the St. Patrick’s Day parade here in Jim Thorpe, I think he probably had about 21 or 22 house parties he had to service and somehow he found a way to make sure that those deliveries were done, everything was cold and everyone was happy,” Sofranko said. “It was more than just being in business for him. He cared about the people.”

Highland’s personality while working helped him get to know local residents, Strubinger said. It was an attribute that served him well on council.

“When he’d make a delivery, he’d go in and talk to people and really get to know them on a personal level,” Strubinger said. “It’s almost like a bartender. You go in there and you hear everybody’s life stories, whether it’s going well or they’re having problems. He had a real unique insight into things going on in town based on those interactions.”

Funeral service details have yet to be announced.