THOMAS ALLEN STAPLETON

Tom was born on October 30, 1926, in Bethel, Mo., to Thomas William and Lydia Lorene Stapleton, and passed away at home on Sunday, October 16, 2011. He grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and joined the U.S. Army at age 18, serving in Hawaii. His main occupation was as a printer, and he worked at several newspapers, retiring from The Fresno Bee in 1989, after 28 years. Tom had a talent for, and enjoyed woodworking and fixing anything that didn't work right. He especially liked camping at the beach, reading non-fiction, and a friendly round of golf, even scoring a hole-in-one! He had a quick wit (and a quick temper!), and was known for snappy comebacks. In retirement, he and his wife, Kathleen, also a Bee retiree, got very involved with the Madera Animal Shelter, fostering over 500 animals and transporting hundreds of cats to Petsmart stores where they were placed for adoption. He is survived by Kathleen, his wife of 37 years; sons, Terry and T. James of Fresno; daughters, Jaqueline Gonzales and her husband Russ of Chowchilla, Lee Ann Evans and her husband Merle of Clovis; step-children, Michael Black Bull, Julie Rieth and her husband Dale of Fresno, and Heather Andrulli and her husband James of North Pole, Alaska; ten grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sister, Pat Benson and her husband Don of Albuquerque, NM; and brother Robert and his wife Sharon of Tijeras, NM; along with many nieces and nephews; and his first wife, Betty, mother of three of his children. His Private Service was held at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella, Ca. Remembrances may be made to Friends of Madera Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 923, Madera, Ca. 93639.