Thomas W. Ledbetter

NEWARK - Thomas William Ledbetter, 70, loving husband, father and Grumpa, passed away on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, N.Y. Our family would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, clergy and support staff at the FF Thompson ICU, who went above and beyond to care for Tom and our family during such a difficult time. There are no words.

A celebration of life will be held in late spring at the Ledbetter home in Newark.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Foundation for Divergent Minds.

Tom was born in Batcave, North Carolina on July 10, 1955, and grew up in Hendersonville, N.C. In 1973, after high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After serving, Tom attended UNC Asheville where he majored in Business and Marketing. In the early 1980's Tom started a corporation called Midrange Information Services. MIS sold corporate data for recruiting and marketing purposes. He was the CEO of MIS until his retirement.

Tom met his wife Diane in the early 1990s. He moved to Newark in 1996 to be with her and her children. Tom and Diane married in 1998 and had one child together.

Along with running his business and raising 7 children, Tom was very active with the Newark CSD. He was elected to the Newark School Board in 2006 and remained on the board for 12 years. He received many awards and accolades in respect to his tireless work for the children of the NCSD. If you knew Tom, you knew his drive to ensure that each child got the best education and support in all areas. He penned the mantra "Every Student, Every Day" for the NCSD.

Tom was mechanically inclined and enjoyed working on his VW Bug and his motorcycles. He always had a project at home that he was working on. He was a fixer of problems in all aspects. Diane and his children joked often about his ability to fix anything, even if he only had a roll of duct tape and a handful of paperclips.

Tom was a lifelong learner with a passion for reading and writing. He often spoke about writing a sci-fi novel during his retirement. He even started to write his own obituary. He wrote:

"I slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings. I flew to the distant sanctity of the sublime heavens. I put out my hand, and touched the face of God. I am autistic. I think differently. I act differently. I don't much care about the things others care about. Things like conforming to social norms. Like talking and drinking in large groups, to name just a few. It is very difficult being different and living in a world that was never meant for us. People often make fun of others who are different. They discount ideas and laugh when they try to make others see the logic and truth behind their ideas. I know this because I've felt the pain of being marginalized myself. From the time I was born I was different, I've been different my whole life, and now I'll be different in the mortal end. The fact that I wrote my own obituary should be sufficient proof of that. If you ask anyone who knows me they will verify. We need "different" people to exist in this world because we contribute so much. The world is a different and better place because of us. It might not be a lot different but every contribution counts."

Tom leaves behind his wife Diane; his children Sarah Nicole Edmonds (Robin Terwilliger) Newark, Alexandra Edmonds Geneva, Matthew Edmonds Newark, Spencer Edmonds Greensboro NC, and Thomas Gregory Ledbetter Newark; his grandchildren, Richie Fernandez, Bentley Ledbetter, Olivia and Logan Covey, Emmalyn and Kegan Petersen, Khloe and Conrad Edmonds, Grayson Santelli and Sky Wiggins; his sisters, Rebecca Hill and Christina (James)Carter; his brother Wayne (Anita) Ledbetter, Hendersonville N.C.; his mother-in-law, Tracy Barnard, Hobe Sound, FL; his brother-in-law Greg Barnard, Victor, N.Y. and sister-in-law Carey (Brian) DeVaney, Stuart, FL; his 4-legged best friend Rigsby, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended family. Finally, but importantly, his Gerofit family at the Canandaigua VA. You are his people and he loved you all.

Tom is predeceased by his mother, Daisy Elnora Huskins; his father, Thomas Higgins Ledbetter; his grandparents, Norman and Vernie Mashburn, Thomas and Virginia Ledbetter; his sons, Brantley and Conrad Edmonds; his brother, Jeffery Ledbetter; his father-in-law Michael Barnard; mother-in-law Margaret Bentley; and brother-in-law Douglas Barnard.

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