Thomas "Roscoe" Rutkowski

Thomas "Roscoe" Rutkowski, age 76, of Millsboro, Delaware, formerly of Dundalk, Maryland, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at Beebe Healthcare in Lewes, Delaware.

Roscoe was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 21, 1949, the son of the late Ferdinand Rutkowski and Isabelle (Bittorf) Rutkowski. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a machinist, working for a variety of companies prior to his retirement. He was also an avid photographer who always had a camera nearby for both personal and professional reasons. He was a wedding photographer for many years, but it was the family shoots that he had the most fun with. He loved driving all around the state finding beautiful scenery to capture, especially lighthouses. He framed and sold many of his scenic shots.

Roscoe will be remembered as a very social man who easily made friends wherever he went. He was always the life of the party and loved hosting others. He had a lifelong love of crabbing and fishing. He would often take out his boat to go crabbing on the Wye or even just for a fun day out on the water at the Harbor. He had various favorite fishing spots depending on what was running and spent many hours making his own fishing lures. After moving to the coastal area of Delaware, he was able to spend countless hours on the water fishing and crabbing and enjoying his retirement. In his spare time, he enjoyed shooting pool and was actively involved in the Situation Critical Pool League at the American Legion in Millsboro, Delaware. He was also a motorcycle enthusiast. Above all else, Roscoe loved spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be fondly remembered for his devotion to his family and his amazing sense of humor.

In addition to his parents, Roscoe was preceded in death by his sister, Mary LaRue.

He is survived by his loving wife of 29 years, with whom he shared nearly 40 years together, Jane M. (Bitzer) Rutkowski; his daughter, Tina Barker of Pocomoke City, Maryland; two grandchildren, Westley Barker and Darian McCown and his wife, Cheyanna; two great-grandchildren, Briella and Sawyer McCown; and two sisters, Doris Nadalin and her husband, Guy, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Ruth Kent of Florida as well as his nieces and nephews. Roscoe is also survived by his canine companion, Susie Q.

A celebration of Roscoe's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Long Neck Methodist Church, 32051 Long Neck Road, Millsboro, Delaware 19966. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Interment will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions in Roscoe's name to the American Heart Association.