Thomas William Woodruff, Jr.

Thomas William Woodruff, Jr., age 89, of Newark, DE and formerly of Leesburg, FL, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 24, 2016.

Born in Binghamton, NY on January 22, 1927, Tom was the only son of the late Thomas William Woodruff, Sr. and Bessie (Cline) Jones. He was a proud U.S. Navy veteran who bravely served his country during the end of WWII and later re-enlisted to serve a second tour during the Korean War. Prior to his retirement, Tom made his career in the mortgage and banking industry for many years.

He was a longtime parishioner of St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Binghamton where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus and served as Grand Master. Tom was a self-taught musician, playing both the organ and piano by ear and loved to sing. Active in his community, he volunteered his time at various nursing homes in Florida where he would serenade and visit with the residents. In his leisure time, Tom enjoyed golfing and spending time with family and friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, E. Madlyn (Murphy) Woodruff; second wife, Angelina (Pariso) Woodruff; step-father, Cyril Jones; and son, Dennis. Tom is survived by his daughters, Julia Ann DiTomasso (Michael, Jr.) of Newark, Cynthia Stewart (Jay) of New Castle and Elaine Gerkensmeyer (Russ) of Williamstown, NJ; 6 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank the entire staff of Little Sisters of the Poor for the loving and exceptional care they provided for Tom during his time there.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 am on Tuesday morning, March 1, 2016, in the chapel of Little Sisters of the Poor, 185 Salem Church Rd., Newark, DE 19713. A committal service with military honors will follow in the chapel of the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, DE.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Tom’s memory may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, at the address listed above.