Thomas W. "Tom" Garfield

Thomas W. "Tom" Garfield

Newark, DE

Thomas W. "Tom" Garfield of Newark, DE, passed away peacefully on December 25, in the company of loving caregivers and family, after a determined battle with cancer. Tom was born July 28, 1948, in Mount Holly, NJ. The family later moved to Edison, NJ, where he graduated from Edison High School in 1967. After high school, Tom joined the United States Air Force and served 4 years at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, DE. Tom attended Delaware State University and achieved his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology.

Tom was the owner/operator of Healthy Home Services, LLC, where he, along with his assistant Billy, installed, serviced and repaired all manner of fireplaces. It is difficult in such a small space to do justice to the person Tom was. He had a great love of music and one of his most enjoyable times was spending his Sunday mornings out in his porch enclosure listening to his favorite mix of classical music with coffee and the newspaper. Along with music, he also loved science, and in particular, astronomy. Meteor showers, comets and most celestial events would sometimes find him camera-ready perched on the roof of his house to capture the event. Camping at Pine Creek in Pennsylvania with his family was also a joy for Tom. Some of the funniest stories he told came from those trips.

Speaking of humor, Tom had a great sense of it and made people laugh easily. Aside from his wit was his collection of t-shirts he loved. From thought provoking to hilarious, they became a trademark. Tom loved having friends and family at his home where he was a gracious host. The occasional poker game, computer golf tournaments and barbeques out on the deck gave him the opportunity to give back the love he received. Tom was humbled by the love shown to him by the quality people he kept in his life. He was extremely proud of the accomplishments, both personally and professionally, achieved by his four children: Adrienne, Brent, Matt and Sally. Tom was also a proud grandpa to 12 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. The time spent with family and friends was as precious as gold to Tom.

He is also survived by siblings: Joan, Judy, Rick, Mary Ann and Jim. Preceding Tom in death are his father, Thomas J. Garfield; mother, Mary P. Garfield; and identical twin brother, Robert J. Garfield. In the face of adversity, Tom would always "endeavor to persevere" and was reluctant to cast his burdens on anyone else. It is a fact that 5 out of 4 people will miss Tom terribly.