Tom was born on May 30th, 1934, to Stanley and Josephine Wentland in Rockford, IL. After graduating from St. Thomas High School, he went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology at Northern Illinois University.
He met Marilynn Frances (Cichocki), and they wed in 1956, Together they had three children, Ruth, Julie and DeeDee.
Tom received his PhD in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1966. After a distinguished career in academia, he retired emeritus in 1999 from Columbus State University. For most of his lifetime, Tom pursued a passion for musical theater. He authored creative and historical works and performed regularly at the Springer Theater in Columbus, Summer Showcase at Ole Miss, and at the Little White House in Warm Springs. He was adept playing both comedic and historical roles, but is best known for his roles as Ben Franklin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Warren.
Tom is predeceased by his parents, Stanley and Josephine, and his brother, Stan. He is survived by his brother Jack and his partner, Mary, and his daughters, Ruth (Fred), Julie (Roger), and DeeDee (Tom), grandchildren, Amanda, Brittany, and Katie and great grandchildren, Everett, Lily, Luca, Macy, Noah, and Oliver, and family friend, Donna.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on May 30th at Daniels Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m. Following the service, friends are invited to a birthday celebration (cake and ice cream) at North Broad Baptist Church in honor of Tom’s 90th birthday.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Heyman Hospice in Rome GA: https://www.floyd.org/medical-services/hospice/Pages/default.aspx or Paws Humane Society in Columbus GA: https://pawshumane.org/ways-to-give/
The Family is particularly grateful for the care that was given during Tom’s final days. We would like to thank Dr. George Hotz and nurse Jayna. Thank you the entire staff at Floyd Home Health Care and Heyman Hospice.
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