Thomas Herbert Cramer

Thomas died at Ocean Medical Center in Bricktown, surrounded by his two daughters, Maria and Victoria Cramer, his wife of 46 years, Marta Ocampo Cramer, and Lauren Gambino, a close family friend who became like another daughter.

He also leaves behind two grandchildren, Gabriel, 9, and Josephine, 5, his son-in-law, Michael Levenson, his brother-in-law, Guillermo Ocampo, and many cousins, nieces and nephews in the United States and Argentina, his second home.

Thomas was born in Colorado on May 26, 1939 to Evelyn Patricia McGee, a housewife, and Harold Herbert "Duke" Cramer, a gas station owner, both deceased.

As a boy growing up in Byers, Colo., he adored playing baseball and raised turkeys in his backyard, growing so close to one of them he named it "Toughie."

He and his best friend, Dave Gordley, loved playing pranks together with their other classmates. One of their most impressive feats was sneaking a goat into the high school in the middle of the night, a practical joke that left the floors covered in the animal's droppings. Dave and Tom remained friends for Tom's entire life.

He was close to his older sister, Patricia Diane White, who died in 1992 of ovarian cancer.

He joined the Navy through the R.O.T.C. program at the University of Colorado in Boulder. From there, he traveled to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan and myriad other cities and countries.

But his favorite city was Buenos Aires, where he met the love of his life, Marta.

They were married in September, 1975 and moved back to the United States, where they raised their daughters in California, then Hawaii. The family returned to Argentina where they lived for six years before settling in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Thomas, who taught for more than 30 years at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology in Sandy Hook, was quiet and a bit shy.

But people gravitated toward him, attracted to his calm nature and his dry sense of humor. He taught his daughters a love of reading and that they should think for themselves. He had a harder time following that advice when it came to "Martita," to whom he could never say no.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 30 at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, N.J. where Thomas's ashes will be buried at a separate time.

Arrangements are being handled by D'Elia Funeral Home in Lakewood.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation.