Thomas Dan Palmerton

Thomas Dan Palmerton

9/8/1939 - 2/6/2026

Tom passed away peacefully on 2/6/2026 at the age of 86 at the Lakes of Sylvania, where he had been a resident for the last 2 years. 

Our hearts are broken. How can we live without the person who has loved us unconditionally and completely our entire lives?  How will life look with this empty hole in our hearts? 

Tom was everything to us, and to so many others. The day he was born, in a farmhouse in North Baltimore, OH at 4:40am, the world gained a soul that would go on to change so many lives and make this Earth a better place.

Tom (Tommy) was born to two of the most loving and adventurous parents, Tom and Millie Palmerton. Through them he learned to help those in need, recognize when someone was struggling and needed help, offer his home, his help and his time to whoever needed it, no matter the circumstance, without judgement. Tom would say "this too shall pass." And it would. 

He learned from his parents to love and experience everything life had to offer.  As a child Tom lived in Findlay, OH until his father moved the family to Hollywood, CA where he worked for the movie studios in many roles (stuntman, driver, horse trainer, movie extra). Tom's dad was a charming, handsome man and the family had many adventures living in the Hollywood Hills amongst movie stars of the 1940's, John Wayne was a regular at their home. Tom attended school in Hollywood and spoke fondly of his time running up and down the canyon hills with his dog, chasing horses, playing with the movie stars kids and kicking rocks down the hills. Tom became close with Mr. Charles Ferguson a classy gentleman and studio driver for the stars who had a whole wall of signed pictures of the biggest stars of the era of which he knew personally, and right in the middle of his wall of fame, was a picture of Tommy, who he loved. 

Tom became ill with rheumatic fever while living in California as a child and spent an entire year in the Los Angeles Children's Hospital recovering. Which he did, only to suffer another bout and end up back in the LA Children's Hospital for another 6 months. 

The family, after many exciting years in Hollywood, eventually moved to Corpus Christi, Texas and then back to Findlay, OH. Tom graduated from Van Buren High School in 1957. 

Tom then joined the United States Navy, enlisting in 1958, and was assigned to an aviation unit, Patrol Squadron 7, a bombing aviation squadron. He was stationed in Jacksonville, FL and Brunswick, ME. Tom loved to tell stories about "chasing Russian submarines" and traveling the world. He spoke fondly of his time in Morocco, Italy, Spain. His squadron unit was assigned to Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Quarantine, where they were prepped and ready to go at a moments notice. Tom had many exciting stories from his time in the Navy, where he learned to fly and also became an expert electrician. 

After being Honorably discharged, he moved back home to the family farmhouse in Findlay, and began attending the University of Findlay, where he earned a Bachelors degree in English.

While there, he met the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, Christine Wolf, through a mutual friend. He and Chris were married in 1968, and he quickly became a beloved member of her family. Tom then earned his Masters Degree in Education where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. He began his teaching career in Washington Local Schools, teaching junior high. 

Tom and Chris welcomed one daughter, Laura Christine, in 1973. 

In 1976 Tom got an offer to work in Managua, Nicaragua as the Director of Curriculum at the American Nicaraguan School. Tom, his wife and 3 year old daughter Laura, packed up and moved to Nicaragua. What an adventure that was! Tom traveled extensively through Central America, visiting every country, going to parties at the American Ambassador to Nicaragua's mansion, meeting Nicaraguan President Anastasio Samoza, running through the waterfalls in the Costa Rican mountains,  and meeting so many people that became lifelong friends. The Nicaraguan revolution began while Tom and his family were living in Nicaragua, where they lived under martial law, eventually forcing the family to move back to the USA, due to safety reasons. Tom said he would have stayed in Nicaragua forever, if it weren't for the revolution. 

Upon returning to the USA, Tom taught at Genoa High School for one year, then at Sylvania Northview High School, where he taught English until retiring in 2000. Tom loved his students, and truly cared about them as if they were his own kids. Tom was a mentor and a fun, engaging teacher, and always had students helping him with projects at home, instilling confidence, work ethic and showing them he cared and wanted them all to be successful.  He became very involved at Northview as a baseball coach, senior class advisor, department chair and friend to all. His scrabble games in the smoky teachers lounge were a favorite of his. In his last few years, one of his former students, Grant Stoll, helped take care of him before he was unable to live on his own.

Tom loved sailing, playing classical guitar, riding his motorcycle, fixing up old cars, riding horses, listening to music, watching the news, and always had a boat, even shipping his sailboat to Nicaragua! 

 After retiring, he studied hard and obtained his pilot's license, earning the highest ratings possible for a private pilot. He was a member of the Blue Horizon Flying Club, and after a few years he and his two friends, Lee Aliakbar and Jim Wurst went in together and purchased an airplane. Tom spent many years back in the sky flying all over, even flying to Texas. After Tom was no longer flying independently, he still enjoyed being involved by keeping up all the maintenance and records on the plane. 

When Tom was no longer able to live on his own, he became a resident at the Lakes of Sylvania, a beautiful, loving place where he was loved and cared for by all.  

Tom never met a stranger, he quickly made friends and was always helping those in need.  He loved us with his whole heart. He would do anything for anyone and would drop everything at a moments notice to help in any way needed. His sense of humor was the best (just ask his students!) and he was still making us laugh up until the very end. He always tried to see the bright side, and made everything better by just being the beautiful light that he was. So many things I could say about this amazing man, but if you knew him, you already know.  Our tears keep flowing and we just can't believe he's gone. It can't be real.

We never believed this day would come, as Tom was such a source of strength and stability to us.  As we reflect upon Tom and all the lives he touched and made better through his love, we know his energy lives on eternally and he's still here with us. 

Our legacy to him is to continue to spread the love and kindness, and to love with everything we have, help others, offer compasssion, support and understanding- just as he did.

He was the most selfless person and up to the very end, he wasn't worried about himself, he was worried about his family, and if we were going to be okay, and taken care of. Don't worry, dad, there are so many people that will make sure we are okay. I promise.

In honor of Tom, we ask that you pass forward the selflessness, love, compassion and support to everyone you meet. Show love for those who are struggling, lend a hand or just be there to listen without judgement. You never know how many lives you save by offering a smile, a word of encouragement or an invitation to talk when someone needs it most. 

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Millie Palmerton, sister Kelly (Margaret) Ryan, brother Jay and best friend who was like a brother to him, Robert (Big Bob) Lindstrom. 

He is survived by his daughter Laura (Patrick McCormick), grandchildren Audrey, Christian and Sarah Berling and ex-wife Christine Palmerton. He was a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

Tom was immensely proud of his grandchildren and loved to tell everyone about all their accomplishments. 

Extra special thanks to everyone at the Lakes of Sylvania who took the best care of Tom and loved him. 

He left behind some words we found while going through his things: "I have been blessed with a life full, rich life- replete with friends, family and many happy memories. I trust in a higher power now. I have but one final request of my many friends and family: Twenty-four hours of grief and then a celebration of life..."

As Winnie the Pooh says, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Fly high dad, we will see you again one day...

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Toledo Club, 235 14th Street, Toledo, Ohio. A U.S. Navy Military Honors ceremony will take place at 1:30 PM to honor Tom’s honorable service to his country.

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