He was born on July 18, 1933, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the only child of Thomas Sr. and Juanita Henderson.
He spent his pre-teen years in Seminole, Oklahoma, before moving to Casper, Wyoming. Tom was a standout and multisport letterman at Natrona County High School before accepting a scholarship to play football for the University of Wyoming. He married and started a family while completing his Bachelor’s degree. He then answered the call to service spending two years in the United States Army prior to earning his Master’s Degree in Geology. Forest Oil Corporation sponsored his thesis work of the geology of that section of the Laramie Mountain range known as Muddy Mountain. He then began work in the Petroleum Industry.
His first marriage of eleven years produced three children, Debra, Michael and Patrick.
He went on to Denver where he met and fell in love with the woman he shared the rest of his life with, Sara Parrott Schwarberg. Tom and Sara spent the first seven years of their marriage in California, where Tom worked as geologist for the Department of Water Resources in Los Angeles. In 1969, Tom and Sara moved to Virginia, first to Richmond and then to Fairfax where Tom accepted a Directorship of the Virginia Water Control Board in 1973. He remained in that position until retiring in 1995.
During their years in Virginia, Tom and Sara raised two devoted children, Beau Forrest Schwarberg of Apopka, Florida, and Brandyn Jean Schwarberg of Wilmington.
He was an avid moviegoer and sailor who spent much of his free time on the water.
It was during a sailing adventure in 2003 that Tom and Sara discovered Wilmington and shortly thereafter relocated for good.
During 15 years together in Wilmington they were inseparable. Tom, a diabetic and survivor of four heart attacks and numerous strokes had an indomitable will to live. He spent the last two most difficult years of his life at home with his loving wife and daughter by his side. He enjoyed frequent visits from his son Beau and daughter in law Mary. He was hospitalized in December but rallied to celebrate Christmas with his family and wife of 53 years by his side. He passed at rest from complications of diabetes and congestive heart failure after a 24hour stay in hospice. He is survived by his loving wife Sara, Brandy, Beau and Mary.
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