Thomas 'Biju' David: MTA worker and devoted family man from East Meadow
Thomas "Biju" David of East Meadow was a hands-on father to his three daughters and a devoted husband to his wife Syju. Credit: Abyphotos/John David
If Koppara Samuel was getting a group together, the first person he would invite was his friend, Thomas “Biju’’ David.
“He always had that positive energy,’’ Samuel said of David, his friend of 25 years. “You have that party, or that business meeting, or that get together — I want Biju there.’’
Thomas David, of East Meadow, died on March 31, from the coronavirus, according to his brother, Abraham David. He was 47.
Known to his friends as “Biju,’’ Thomas David was born on May 24, 1972, in the state of Kerala, in southern India. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1986 and grew up in Queens with his parents and three brothers. All the brothers attended Martin Van Buren High School. After graduation, Thomas earned an associates degree from Queens College and then attended Long Island University.
In 1997, he took a job with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA, and he worked there for the past 22 years, rising to the level of supervisor of the Labor Relations Department.
A devoted family man, Biju would have celebrated his 20th wedding anniversary with his wife, Syju, in May. He was a hands-on father to his three daughters.
“Always, I envied him,’’ his friend, Samuel, said. “He has three daughters, and he took them to everything — dance, school, doctor’s appointments. I always used to wonder, 'How does he have time to do all that?'’’
Biju was also devoted to his church, St. Basil Malankara Orthodox Church, in Franklin Square. He served as the church secretary for two years.
“If there was any work to do at the church, he was there,’’ Samuel said. “We do a lot of collections for charity — he was always the first one to give.’’
“I always grew up trying to imitate him, trying to be the same kind of person he was,’’ his brother, Abraham, said of Biju. “No matter what was happening, he always had a smile. He never let you see if things weren’t going well.’’
Thomas David is survived by his wife, Syju, his daughters, Niah, 17, Megha, 14, and Eliza, 9; his parents, A.J. and Mariamma David, of East Meadow; and three brothers: John (and wife Shija) David of Franklin Square, Mathew (and wife Liza) David, of Bellerose, and Abraham David (and wife Sheena Bijjula) of East Meadow.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
