Thomas Thackston

Thomas Thackston, late of Surf City, after battling a brief illness died on January 28th, 2023.  Thomas was together with all 6 of his children during the last weeks of his life:  Jenny, Thomas, Christina, Amy, Rosemarie, and Mary.  Thomas now joins his beloved wife of 61 years, Agnes Panella Thackston, in God's Kingdom of Heaven.

Thomas Thackston was born on December 28th,1937 to Katherine Fiedler Thackston and Richard Howard Thackston at Saint Mary's hospital in Orange, New Jersey.  The second born of 4 Thackston boys, Thomas was a curious, loving, and active child.  Thomas grew up in Whippany, New Jersey and graduated from Bayley Ellard High School.  Upon graduation, Thomas enrolled in the US Army,  where he had many adventures, from 1955 to 1958.  Following the Army, Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a major in Mechanical Engineering in May 1964.

On June 24, 1961, Thomas married the love of his life, Agnes Panella Thackston.  They started their life together in Springfield and Florham Park, New Jersey before settling in Moorestown, New Jersey to raise their 6 children.  After Thomas retired from his position as Vice President of the PyMaH Corporation, in Somerville, New Jersey, Tom and Agnes moved permanently to their summer shore house in Surf City, New Jersey.  Tom and Agnes loved living by the seashore and enjoyed being winter snowbirds to Delray Beach, Florida for many years in between the fall, spring, and summers spent in Surf City.  Their Surf City home was always filled with visits from family, and they enjoyed wonderful neighbors as well.  Tom and Agnes told their children, “You can always come home.”

Thomas began working at the age of 7 when he picked up a newspaper route.  As was his way, Thomas organized it, made it better, more efficient and expanded it so much that by the time he was in high school it was quite the business. Understanding the value of smart, hard work and the independence it brought, became one of the hallmarks of Thomas’s character.  He taught the importance of thinking for yourself (even if no one agrees), listen to your conscience, do your best, and trust in God.

Thomas loved sports and played football, basketball, baseball (pitching a “Perfect Game” in 1958) and enjoyed the game of golf in his retirement years.  He coached his children’s sports teams through the years, and never missed a game or swim meet for any of them.  He truly loved and cherished children.  Thomas enjoyed teaching his grandchildren the things he knew from how to swing a golf club to how to invest in the stock market.  An excellent pinochle player Thomas valued time with his family around the kitchen table playing cards, telling stories, and treasuring the family life.  Thomas was a skilled and life-long gardener; the whole family loved the bounty from his garden, including juicy tomatoes and the biggest, best figs you’ve ever tasted.

Thomas is survived by his 6 children:  Jenny Thackston, Thomas (Cindy) Thackston, Christina (Damon) Frazee, Amy Thackston, Rosemarie Thackston, and Mary (John) Evert.  He is also survived by his 7 grandchildren: Thomas, Mark, and Charles Suchy; Julia, Thomas Parker, and Gabrielle Thackston; and Siena Rose Evert.  Thomas is survived by his 3 brothers, Richard, Charles, and Donald Thackston.

Thomas, Tommy, Tom, Dad, Pop-Pop will be forever loved and his imprint on our hearts, minds, and lives will continue every day.  He conducted himself as a gentleman and treated others with kindness and respect no matter the situation. We will especially miss his hugs and kisses, great advice, fatherly support, inventiveness, and the twinkle in his blue eyes.  Your love for us is a lesson in itself.  We will miss you every single day.  Thank you for you.  Jesus blessed our whole family with you in our lives, and now we know you are in Heaven, with Mom, looking out for all of us and loving us for always.

A memorial gathering will take place on Sunday, February 5, 2023, from 1pm to 3pm at Maxwell–Tobie Funeral Home, 573 Mill Creek Rd., Manahawkin NJ 08050, and Monday, February 6, from 10am to 11am at St. Mary of the Pines Church, 100 Bishop Way, Manahawkin, NJ 08050. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated immediately following his gathering at 11am.