Thomas Edwin Kittle

THOMAS EDWIN KITTLE, (86) passed from this world on Nov. 21, 2025, after an unwinnable battle with Alzheimer's. He was born in Troy, NY on October 22, 1939 and graduated from Averill Park High School, Class of '59, where he was a major player in both baseball and soccer. His classmates remember him fondly for always making folks smile and laugh. Tom was a proud US Navy veteran with service that began in high school as a reservist, then active duty aboard the USS Intrepid. Upon honorable discharge, he served several additional years in the reserve.
He owned and operated a plumbing business and later expanded it to include home repairs in the Troy area and later in the Southwest and Boone, NC. Tom enjoyed reading about history and was an active member of the Mountain Man Assoc. During this time, he learned the art of tanning and sewing animal skins into outfits and the skill of forging knives and axes. Tom earned his black belt in Judo and taught defense classes over the years.
In 1989 he committed to sobriety and eagerly sponsored others and cultivated many friendships. His first marriage had failed, resulting in an estrangement from his seven children. Fortunately, he found and married his soulmate, Cynthia, and they resided in the Boone, NC area where she was a professor at the local college and Tom ran his business. They enjoyed sailing and owned a sailing vessel. After retirement, they moved to East Point, GA. Cynthia's sudden death in 2018 was a blow to her entire family, but especially Tom. By then his journey with Alzheimer's had begun.
Tom is survived by his sister, Peg (Margaret) Baldwin-Gifford and her sons Mark (Pam) Baldwin of Russellville, KY, and James (Paula) Baldwin of Troy, NY. and Cynthia's two loving children, Jennifer Colangelo and Brian (Kristin) Colangelo and 4 step-grandchildren. He is also survived by his son, Scott (Eileen) Kittle of VA who he was happily rebuilding a relationship with over the past several years. Tom has five surviving estranged children, and grands and great grands from his first marriage. It had been his hope to reestablish a connection with them, but it wasn't to be.
He last resided at Eddy Village Green in Cohoes where the staff enjoyed his smiles, jokes, and amiable manner. Peg and Jennifer extend a loving thank you to everyone at House 2, for their kind, loving, compassionate, and unfaltering care of Tom as he slowly slipped away.
Tom's Funeral will be later under the direction of Smith Chase Family Funeral Home in Mechanicville. In lieu of flowers or donations of any kind, his sister requests that if you know of anyone with a drinking problem, you please try to understand their disease and encourage them to find sobriety through AA.