Finale・A Life Well Lived: Stories from Provincetown to the World

At 85, Tom Dirsa hasn’t slowed down. He reflects.

“I feel very fortunate,” he says. “I still have my mind. I can still tell stories.” That, for him, is the measure.

His work today spans books, local history, and a growing digital presence.

“I sit there with my dog Jake in my lap,” he says, smiling. “Some mes without my teeth in, just talking about whatever’s on my mind.”

Short reflections. A few minutes at a me.

Real life, unfiltered.

But beneath the humor is something deeper. An awareness of me. Of memory. Of what stays—and what fades. “My mother went through demen a,” Tom says. “You lose the present, and you live in the past.” For him, the ability to tell both past and present stories is a gift.

That awareness also drives his historical work. In researching local history in Alberta, Tom uncovered stories that had been simplified—or forgotten entirely. “There’s always more to the story,” he says. And that belief—simple, but powerful—has shaped everything he writes.

When asked how he would summarize his life, Tom doesn’t hesitate. “I’ve been thinking about a title,” he says. “For a book.”

A Life Well Lived.

It’s not a statement of perfection.

It’s a reflection of experience.

Of Provincetown streets and fishing boats.

Of classrooms and baseball fields.

Of family, resilience, and me.

Because in the end, Tom Dirsa’s story isn’t just his own. It’s a reminder of something many in Provincetown already know: That the place you come from doesn’t just shape your beginnings—It stays with you for life.

About the Author

Tom Dirsa was born in New England. Raised in Provincetown on Cape Cod. In 1967 he came to Alberta, Canada for two years and stayed a lifetime! A successful teacher, basketball coach, and school principal who, since retirement, began a career as a writer. He started by writing for Alberta Education. Then as a reporter for a community newspaper.

He wrote the first volume of an eight-volume series for the nation’s anniversary about Canada’s first 150 years, called Canada Becomes a Federation.

He is the author of five children picture books. Sweaty Eyes, Fishing Lessons for Grandpa, BJ & the Green Monstah! Which tells the story of his grandson’s first trip to a baseball game at historic Fenway Park. His fourth book To See a Deer relates a story of exploring a nature park in search of a deer. His latest book To See a Whale is about a journey on a whale watching boat.

Recently, Tom has worked with the Leduc Public Library to produce an interesting four-volume series of history books about the City of Leduc titled Leduc: Then & Now. The Alberta Provincial Library honored Tom in 2020 by including his book The School with No Students, a story about COVID-19, in their collection about the virus. Tom finished his career in education as a Principal in the Alberta Canada schools.

Learn more about Tom Dirsa on Facebook @ CoachTD and his YouTube podcast “Jake & the Old Fart”