Thomas Francis Temme

Thomas Francis “Tommy” Temme of Philadelphia Pa. and Surf City, NJ passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa. at the age of 78. Tommy was born on May 14, 1947, to Dorothy Callahan Temme and Francis W. Temme, Sr. in Philadelphia, Pa. where he was raised and lived most of his life.

Tommy attended St. Athanasius grade school and Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia followed by Manor Junior College in Florida. Tom spent most of his career in the printing industry, working for the Winchell Company, Hahnemann Hospital and Canon Business Solutions throughout his career.

From an early age, Tommy enjoyed spending summers with his extended family in Surf City, NJ., where his great grandfather, Thomas Callahan was its first Mayor. He loved being around boats and enjoying spending time on the bay. He was introduced to sailing at a very young age, following in the footsteps of his father Frank and older brother Fran. At a young age, he began racing sailboats at the Surf City Yacht Club where his father was Commodore in 1963. He was an active member of the club for most of his life, served as Junior Commodore in 1965 and earned many sailing awards and titles over the years. He loved sharing his passion for sailing with others and was often found at the end of 23rd street or in the Yacht Club boat yard discussing sailing, telling stories or teaching and introducing the sport of sailing to others.

Tommy is predeceased by his parents Dorothy and Francis W. Temme Sr., his sister Dorothy Robinson and his brother Francis W. Temme Jr. He is survived by his sister-in-law Judith Temme of Gettysburg, Pa., his nieces and nephews Susan (Russell) Malta of Ocean Twp., NJ, Timothy (Patricia) Robinson of Newtown, Pa, Mark Temme of Surf City, NJ, Patricia Geary of Huntington Valley, Pa., and Andrew (Julie) Temme of Fairlawn, NJ. He is also survived by 8 great nieces and nephews and 7 great-great nieces and nephews and many other extended friends and family members who will miss him greatly, including his cousin Diane German who faithfully cared for him in recent years.

A memorial gathering to celebrate Tommy’s life will be held at Maxwell-Tobie Funeral Home, 573 Mill Creek Road, Manahawkin, NJ 08050 on Sunday, January 11, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. An additional memorial visitation will take place at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 4700 Long Beach Blvd., Brant Beach, NJ, 08008 on Monday, January 12, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tommy’s memory to the Surf City Volunteer Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services or to https://reclamthebay.org