Thomas Ezra Hurford's Obituary
Thomas Ezra Hurford (Tom) of Roy, Utah, passed away in the early evening hours of Friday, March 10, 2023, at the age of 59. Thomas was born in Elizabethtown, Illinois on July 18, 1963, to Nora Mae Chasteen Hurford and Benjamin Thomas Hurford. Thomas is survived by his wife Diana Hurford, son Benjamin Hurford and 5 siblings: Charles Michael Hurford (Mike) (Kentucky), Terry (Ginger) Hurford (Arizona), Jesse (Diane) Hurford (Indiana), Deborah (Larry) Ploetz (Wisconsin), and Kathleen Hurford (Indiana), 1 sister-in-law Katharine (John) Dallinga and brother-in-law Dennis (Marion) Brockman. He is also survived by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents along with two sisters Martha Sue (Wes) Abell and Rita Fay Scarbrough. At the age of 5, Tom moved to Chandler, Indiana where he grew up and graduated from Castle High School in 1981. Tom worked in Sales, starting out in building materials and then computers.
Thomas was married to Diana (Johansen) Hurford for 29 years and they had 1 son, Benjamin Thomas Hurford (named after Tom’s father). They met online in 1992 on “The Sierra Network” where they both enjoyed computer role playing games.
Thomas enjoyed computers all his life and was a self-taught IT technician. He built all the family’s computers from scratch. Thomas went by the alias “Trayk” in all his online games and many people know him as “Trayk” or “T”. Tom played EVE Online (a massive multiplayer online role-playing game) for many years and made many online friends. After leaving EVE, he joined Forge of Empires (FOE) where he built a guild named “The Barbarian Horde” in which he “poured much of himself into its very foundation. He wanted a guild that represented his core values of honesty, friendship and loyalty. What he actually created as a bi-product of those values, was an online family who valued their time together and who deeply appreciated the relationships and bonds they formed and counted on during the hard times life threw their way.” He built lasting friendships with people he never met in person. Many times he stayed up way too late at night just talking about food, music, sports, politics, family, work, and old war stories with his online family. Tom was a great friend and leader and made his guild members feel wanted and needed and built a family from a group of total strangers. His guild members re-named the guild “Trayk’s Barbarian Horde” in his honor and sent in their memories of “T”.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, 25 MAR 2023 at 12pm at 7989 South 2250 East, South Weber, Ut 84405. Parking in the south side parking area. Flowers can be sent to 2168 East View Drive, South Weber, UT 84405 or 5435 South 3200 West, Roy, UT 84067. He will be laid to rest in the Clinton Cemetery next to his mother-in-law, Linda Lee Johansen.
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