The son of George Thomas and Virginia May (Chapman) Dietrich, Thomas grew up in Ridgefield, NJ, where he followed his grandfather, father, uncle, and cousin into the Ridgefield Fire Department. As a firefighter, in 1975, he led his eldest daughter’s kindergarten class on a tour of RFD Company #3. A life-long member and councilmember of Morsemere Community Church, UCC (Ridgefield), Thomas met his wife, Lauren “Laurie” Maehrlein, there, in Sunday School.
They married in July 1974, and celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at Morsemere, by renewing their vows, just 12 days before his death. A Diesel Mechanic by trade, Tom worked for Ryder Truck Rental for 44 years before his retirement. He attended evening classes at Bergen Community College and Montclair State University, working towards a degree in History.
As a constant learner, immersing himself in history, science, and religious studies, he was particularly good at trivia competitions. Tom donated blood and platelets regularly for decades, until medications he needed made him an unsuitable donor. He participated nearly every year in New Milford’s Clean Community Day, often in a kayak, pulling trash out of the Hackensack River.
His philosophy was that everyone needed to do whatever they could to make the world a better place. He loved to travel and fell three states short of visiting all 50. He and Laurie made several trips to Europe, visiting the hometowns of many of their immigrant ancestors, often meeting, and.