Thomas J. Witkowski

Thomas Joseph Witkowski was a remarkable man. Everyone who crossed his life’s path were forever changed for the better. He was a giver of his time, knowledge, and love. On Thursday, June 16, 2022, in his home, surrounded by loved ones, he left this world behind.

Tom was born on September 22, 1950, in Braddock, Pennsylvania to Joseph and Dorothy Witkowski. The eldest of four brothers, he grew up with a natural love of learning and teaching. A proud Polack and self-made man, he worked his way through college in the steel mills, obtaining a liberal arts degree in education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania; the first in his family to go on to higher education.

An athlete and later a coach, he excelled in both football and field and track; but his favorite sports centered around his love of the outdoors. As an avid whitewater kayaker, canoeist, rock climber, skier, and cave spelunker, nature was his “temple.” One of Tom’s favorite places to recreate was the Laurel Highlands in southwestern, Pennsylvania. In February 1981, he met and fell in love with his life-long wife, Nancy Wagner while interviewing chaperones for the ski club at Sierra High School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, where he taught. They were happily married for forty years. Tom loved his family and worked hard to provide a beautiful home, a good education, and lots of adventure and experiences for his two children, Ryan and Jenna. He often put in long hours at the office, but he never missed his kids’ sporting events--even if it meant showing up to the games in his business suit.

A lover of the world and new experiences Tom had a traveler’s heart. On a mountaineering excursion in 1981, he climbed Ecuador’s peaks and lived aboard a sailboat in the Galapagos Islands. Some of his other travel destinations included Bermuda, Jamaica, Alaska and innumerable road trips around the United States and Canada.

Those who knew Tom best attest that he had a brilliant mind and was constantly inventing and improving. He designed and patented a live-aboard camping canoe and was always scouting new rivers to paddle. One of his favorite river trips, and memories, included the wild, one hundred mile stretch of the Missouri River Breaks located in northcentral and northeastern Montana.

Tom excelled at everything he did. He was a beloved teacher, a manager at MetLife, a CPA, and founder of Financial Services Group. Apart from his dynamic career, he was also a valued public servant and member of the community. For nearly twenty years Tom served on the board of directors at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary, taking on the roles of treasurer and president; he delivered food to those in need for the nonprofit organization, Mathew 25; and he also dedicated years of service to the Heart of Ohio Council for the Boy Scouts of America. During this time, he designed, built, and took on the role of director for the C.O.P.E. program (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience). He was a passionate instructor and mentor--imparting invaluable life lessons such as teamwork, confidence, communication and problem-solving skills to the children he worked with, all the while instilling a love of nature and the importance of wilderness stewardship.

But above all else, Tom was a patriot and loved his country. An authority on the constitution and governmental law, he was often asked to speak in schools and public events. He believed in the importance of learning and understanding the founding documents in order to preserve freedom and civil liberties throughout the generations.

So many hearts are broken by the loss of Thomas Joseph Witkowski, but his legacy will live on through those he touched. He is now in a better place, paddling the wild rivers of the afterlife.