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Marlborough man, 73, writes ‘outrageous’ obituary for himself
Some things that friends of Tom Wellen may not know about him: He fled the state to avoid being arrested and he survived a meteorite storm that gave him powers that led to him becoming a superhero — a career he had to give up due to a severe spandex allergy. At least, that’s what […]

Some things that friends of Tom Wellen may not know about him: He fled the state to avoid being arrested and he survived a meteorite storm that gave him powers that led to him becoming a superhero — a career he had to give up due to a severe spandex allergy.
At least, that’s what it says in the longtime Marlborough resident’s obituary. Wellen, 73, died on May 24 — but not before preparing a humorous obituary for friends and family to read and to enjoy.
“He wrote it (the obituary) himself,” said his wife, Kate Wellen. “Knowing he was writing it, I knew it was going to be something a little different, a little outrageous, because that was the kind of guy Tommy Wellen was.”
Wellen’s obituary mixes real life with humor.
“Tom lived most of his life in Marlboro, relocating abruptly to Florida in the mid-seventies but returning 10 years later when the local warrants expired,” the obituary reads.
His wife of 20 years said part of that is true. He did go to Florida to work with a cousin in the construction business before returning to Marlborough.
“He loved saying off-the-wall stuff just to make people crack up,” Kate Wellen said.
Tom Wellen was city treasurer, credit union CEO
When he did return to Marlborough, he made an impact. For 12 years (1994 to 2006), he was president and CEO at St. Mary’s Credit Union. Wellen is also a former Marlborough city treasurer. He volunteered for many youth sports groups and at the Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest and the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Wellens also started a quilting business called Creative Longarm Partners.
He raised five children and had six grandchildren.
Tom Wellen also loved to sail, his wife said. He sailed all over the East Coast, up to Canada and down to the Caribbean.
It was during one of those trips that Wellen obtained his superpowers, according to his tongue-in-cheek obituary.
“While he was on one extended offshore adventure, he was caught in a lengthy meteorite storm. After the storm finally subsided, he realized he had acquired several superpowers, which he later used in a secondary career as an anonymous crime fighter. He eventually had to quit his secret life of crime fighting after developing a rare acute reaction to spandex. The condition was so severe that it led to his eventual demise.”
Kate Wellen said her husband actually died of multiple myeloma. He was diagnosed six years ago and was given five years to live.
“The superhero part is something you have to question, but he really was a superhero to most of us,” Kate said.
There will be a celebration of Wellen’s life from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, at the Slattery Funeral Home, 40 Pleasant St., Marlborough. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Wellen’s memory to UMass-Memorial’s Cancer Center of Excellence.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.