Thomas “Tom” Henry McNamara, 91 of Lake Placid, Florida, passed away Sept. 18, 2024, with family who loved him and the support of Good Shepherd Hospice.
The dedicated and loving husband of 61 years to Margaret L. McNamara (deceased), was born Thomas Henry McNamara on June 21, 1933, in South Bend, Indiana, to William Carr Whitehead McNamara and Aveline Marie Probst McNamara. Tom, a graduate of St. Paul High School in 1952, soon enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
Tom met his Maggie while on leave from the Navy one weekend pumping gas at the family gas station in Marion, Indiana. Tom said she was the best thing that ever happened to him in his life. They married and moved to Whiting Field, in Milton, Florida, to the Naval Air Station. They stayed there until Tom fulfilled his service obligation in the Navy as Aviation Machinist Mate 3rd Class and served three years as crash and rescue on the Naval Airfield in Milton Florida, 1952-1956. This dedication to serve and rescue followed Tom through the rest of his life. Serving 13 years as a Volunteer Fire Fighter with the Bluffton Fire Department and on the Board of Directors formulating the Fire Department at Sun n’ Lakes area in Lake Placid, Florida.
After serving in the Navy, Tom and Marge made a home near Swayzee, Indiana, as Tom continued working as 50% owner at the Family Texaco specializing in Brake and Alignment.
Tom and Maggie lived in Marion until 1968, when the family relocated to Bluffton, Indiana. Tom became Manager of Erie Stone in Bluffton, Markle and Montpelier, overseeing the daily management from 1967 until retirement in 1988.
They began wintering at Lake Placid from Bluffton, beginning in 1988. Thomas was very active in the organization and participation of many Sun n’ Lakes Community Club House events as he and Marge were two of the original 23 founding members. Lake Placid became their full-time home.
A loving and caring father of four children, Thomas and Brenda McNamara Jr., Teresa (McNamara) and Randy Melton, Timothy McNamara, all of Bluffton, and Tamara (McNamara) and Graham Goodfellow of Nagambie, Victoria, Australia. A very dedicated father, who demonstrated conviction and integrity in his daily life.
Remembered as a humorous yet inspirational, intelligent, charismatic, inventive grandpa, full of life, the gentle and very caring Grandma Mac or G’Pa to eight grandchildren, Ike Gilbert and Yen Truong of San Diego, California, Dominice Gilbert and JR Lodico of St. Petersburg, Florida, Dustin and Jessica Melton of Florence, Arizona, Casey and Kelli Melton of Indianapolis, Leslie (McNamara) and Michael Lindsay of Bluffton, Amanda McNamara of Ossian, and Scott McNamara of Bluffton, Sarah McNamara (deceased). “A Grandpa who gave guidance when asked, patient to explain a process or reason. Guiding by his personal values, a trait seen in his Grandchildren in their own life journey.”
Thomas was a very kind, fun loving and proud great-grandpa to great-grandsons, Grant and Sean Gilbert of San Diego, California, along with Makayla and Millie (McNamara) Lindsay of Bluffton.
Thomas’s final journey was expectedly met with his usual stoic determination and matter of factual manner: “There comes a time when you just have to park your car.”
Dear Loving Husband, Father, Dad, G-Paw, Grandpa, Great Grandpa, you will be so greatly missed.
As requested by Tom, there will be no funeral services.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Thomas’s memory can be directed to The Comfort Crew for Military Kids at comfortcrew.org. This not-for-profit organization helps military children handle loss. Phone: 512-337- (CREW(2739)) or 512-372-8359 donations can be made online at: www.comfortcrew.org A dedication can be noted online if desired.
“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.” – Helen Keller
Online condolences and the most recent obituary and service times can be found at www.bankspagetheus.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Banks/Page-Theus Funerals and Cremations, 410 Webster St. Wildwood, FL.