Thomas is the fourth of five children born to John and Helen Roth. He grew up in Nanuet, a suburb just north of New York City, in the kind of Irish Catholic household where faith, family, and laughter were constants, even when life wasn’t easy. Born in 1958, Thomas was raised during a time when kids roamed the neighborhood freely, learned to be resourceful, and came home in time for dinner.

After graduating from Nanuet High School, Thomas attended Ithaca College in upstate New York. There, he met Eileen Costello. They married in 1985 and raised three daughters. Thomas also began a 38-year career as a State Farm agent, working with clients and building a business grounded in trust and service. He and Eileen are now the proud grandparents of three granddaughters and a grandson.

Helen Roth, his mother, was a widow raising five children while managing a full-time career. She didn’t give long speeches, but spoke in sharp, memorable phrases. Many of those lines were inherited from her own mother, and they made their way into the daily life of the Roth family. Thomas didn’t realize it at the time, but those expressions would shape the way he saw the world. Roughly twenty years ago, he noticed how often those old expressions surfaced in his own conversations. He began writing them down, and the result is It’s a Great Life! 100 Irish Expressions to Live By, Thomas’ debut book.