Thomas Edward Brumbach
Thomas Edward Brumbach (Tom) passed away on March 8, 2025, at the age of 79. He was the son of the late Robert (Bob) Edward and Frances (Feather) Brumbach. He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on December 27, 1945. A few years later, the family moved to Mantua, Ohio for his father’s new job at the Samuel Moore & Company where his only sibling, Linda, was born. Tom first worked at his father’s new business Triton Technics in Ravenna, Ohio, while he attended Crestwood High School. He had a passion for trains, sailing, and music, especially opera.
After high school graduation, Tom enrolled in Valley Forge Military Academy for two years, before joining the US Navy. As a Radioman, he served in Morocco and later in Puerto Rico during the Vietnam War. After he was discharged, he began his studies of Geography at Kent State University in January 1970. The Kent State shootings in May 1970 took him to the White House with four fellow students. They met with President Nixon to explain their views of what happened, in hopes that nothing like that would happen again on a school campus.
Tom received his Masters of Geography degree from Kent State and landed a job with the George Shafer transportation firm in Washington, DC, tracking freight trains and tank-trucks. When computers arrived on the scene, Tom created software for the tank-trucks and trucks hauling general commodities. This included work for Ken Manning’s Transportation Costing Group (TCG). His software is still being used by National Trucking Companies. When George Shafer retired and TCG moved, Tom stayed in the DC area to work for Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations. He built close friendships at all these companies, taught his nephew Evan about computer programming, and introduced everyone to his love of Opera.
Tom generously supported many musical organizations such as the Vocal Arts Society in DC, Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Wagner Society. He was a member of the Association of American Geographers, the National Model Railroad Association, and was a Smithsonian Associates Champion. He collected magazines related to Trains and Model Railroading, but was most excited when his Opera News arrived.
Tom loved cooking and was an excellent chef. He prepared recipes for family and friends from his favorite cookbooks, including every recipe in Craig Claiborne’s New York Times Cookbook.
Writing was another love that developed after his father died. He gathered family research to write Bob’s life story “Sailing with Dad” as a gift for his sister. He developed a close friendship with his parent’s friend Pietre Kvedelidze from Georgia who worked for the Voice of America. “The Endless Road” is Tom’s version of Pietre’s life story.
Tom never had his own children but loved being with them and sharing his knowledge. He supported the St. Labre Indian School in Montana.
He will be deeply missed by his nephew Evan, his sister Linda, and her husband Jeff. There will be a celebration of his life at the Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington, VA on Sunday, March 23rd. He will be buried at the Brumbach Family plot in the Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to VocalArtsDC.org or the American Cancer Society.
Thomas Vincent Chema
Thomas Vincent Chema, a mainstay of community life in Cleveland and throughout Ohio, passed away suddenly on March 16, 2025.
Deborah L. Carmichael
Deborah L Carmichael, age 70, of Kent, Ohio passed away on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Robert L. Lackey
Robert “Bob” L. Lackey, age 92 of Uniontown, passed away March 22, 2025, at his home.
Ray Milton Nulph
Ray Milton Nulph, 88, formerly of Atwater, passed away on March 23, 2025.
Elena Giorgio
Elena Giorgio, age 97 of Ravenna, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 24, 2025. She was born on December 8, 1927, in Havana, Cuba, to her Eastern European parents, Stefan and Franziska (Jandrisevitz) Bosko.
Richard R. Thorp
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Richard “Dick” Thorp, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend who passed away Sunday March 23, 2025 at the age of 86.
June Delores Biltz
June Delores Biltz, 89, of Brimfield, passed away on March 24, 2025. Born in Alliance, she lived most of her life in Brimfield.
