Thomas Henry Krupa

Uncasville - Thomas "Tom" Henry Krupa, 75, passed away Aug. 21, 2024. Tom was born Sept. 24, 1948, in Middletown. He first met Laura Ponte in dance class at age 13. Ultimately, it wasn't her quick feet that caught his attention, but her lasagna. So, when fate found them working at the same grocery store - she, the brilliant cashier who could do calculations quickly in her head, and he, the lowly bagger - he took a chance and asked her out. He was never hungry again. On a rainy Friday evening, June 26, 1970, he married Laura.

He served his country in the Vietnam conflict as a member of the U.S. Air Force, working as an airplane mechanic. His military decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze service stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and Special Operations Group. He took great pride in being a Vietnam veteran. After his discharge in 1972, he began his career in nuclear energy, first as a technician at Millstone Nuclear Power Plant and later helping decommission and dispose of buildings and materials at Yankee Rowe and Connecticut Yankee. It was hard but gratifying work. Everyone in the family agreed that when he returned home at the end of the day, he glowed.

Tom was a passionate outdoorsman and spent much of his free time hunting, fishing and taking long walks through the woods - sometimes alone, sometimes with the hunting dogs he trained, but more often than not with friends and family. However, the woods of Connecticut were not enough for him. So, once a year, he and his best friend, Tom Kelley, would travel to the provincial parks of Canada, bringing home pictures of the things he'd seen and a sense of peace, as well as a full beard and the smell of someone who had been bathing in lakes full of fish for the last two weeks. As he grew older, he exchanged his hunting rifles for compound bows and his bird dogs for lap dogs.

Tom was supportive of his children and their accomplishments, frequently telling them axioms like, "If you can find a job you enjoy, you'll never work a day in your life." He willingly attended and supported them through hundreds of concerts, debates, cross country meets and the like, even when work had him doing night shifts or traveling long hours to support his family. He was a master craftsman, and with his wife, Laura, knew all the ins and outs of home building, as evidenced by the lovely home they painstakingly built together over the latter half of their 54 years of marriage. He enjoyed his retirement and was frequently at Gardner Lake at the Socha marina for 20 years. He sincerely delighted in spending time with his grandchildren and taught them to fish, shoot bows, build campfires, and make s'mores.

Tom will be deeply missed by his siblings, Joseph (Sue) and Monica (Tony); as well as his many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Kevin. Tom also leaves behind his wife Laura; his children, Kelly (Frank), Thomas Jr. (BethAnne), and Sarah; and his grandchildren, Aiden and Declan.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held with calling hours from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. in the church, followed by a 10 a.m. Mass for Thomas Krupa Saturday, Aug. 31, at Our Lady of the Lakes Church, 752 Norwich-Salem Turnpike, Oakdale. In lieu of flowers, Pepper (Tom and Laura's emotional support dog) asks that donations be made in Tom's name to the Connecticut Humane Society. Gifts can be sent to 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111 or via cthumane.org/donate.