Thomas Reynolds

by Pete Mazzaccaro

Thomas Reynolds, 27, a well-known local Twitter celebrity and Chestnut Hill resident, died on Saturday Sept. 17 from an apparent drug overdose.

Reynolds, a graduate of Springfield Township High School, was discovered unconscious Saturday afternoon in a bathroom at the Trolley Car Diner in Mt. Airy. Police told the Local that an ambulance was called and he was rushed to Chestnut Hill Hospital.

On Sept. 18, Reynolds’ girlfriend announced on Twitter that he had died.

Reynolds, known as @tombrodude on Twitter, had attracted thousands of followers and was well known locally as a funny man who would tweet short jokes, including some admitting and discussing heroin addiction.

On Sept. 16, one day before he died, he tweeted the following:

“it feels good to be back on here. im sorry for my constant absence over the past few years, heroin addiction can be very time consuming”

That was followed by a reply that he “was better now.”

What Reynolds was best known for were his jokes, particularly for humorous trolling, the act of provoking someone or something online to annoy or anger. A popular target of his was local news station 6ABC-TV, which he would relentlessly troll with the same photos of a naked man.

Friends of Reynolds have started a GoFundMe campaign online to help the family cover funeral expenses. That fund can be found at GoFundMe.com/tombrodude. As of Tuesday, the campaign had collected almost $10,000.

The Philly Voice reported that a memorial service has been scheduled for Oct. 30 at the Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting House.