Obituary of Thomas F. Nealon

Thomas F. Nealon Of Chadds Ford, PA Thomas F. Nealon, 85, of Chadds Ford, PA formerly of Vestal, NY, passed away on May 18, 2010 in Chadds Ford, PA surrounded by his wife of 58 years, Betty Rae, and their nine adult children. He was predeceased by his parents, Ambrose and Helen Nealon; two sisters, Helen Nealon and Barbara Rollo; one brother, Leo Nealon; and one granddaughter, Jacqueline Slawta. He is survived by his wife, Betty Rae Nealon, his children, six daughters and three sons, Liz Simon, Great Neck, NY, Ann Nealon, Glenside, PA, Joan Nealon, New York, NY, Kate Slawta, Bethesda, MD, Mary Rose, Prior Lake, MN, Tom Nealon, Dallas, TX, Sharon Curran, Holliston, MA, Jim Nealon, Glenside, PA and Dennis Nealon, Gurnet Valley, PA; one brother, Jerome O. Nealon, Madison, AL; one sister, Marge Coddington, Vestal, NY. He had been a resident of Chadds Ford, PA for the past three years after living in Vestal, NY for nearly 40 years. He attended the University of Scranton and briefly served in the US Army before winning an appointment to the US Naval Academy. He excelled academically at the Naval Academy and was the Quarterback of the Navy football team. He loved the years he spent as a naval officer, including a mission to the North Pole and a tour of duty in the Korean War aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. On leaving the Navy, Tom joined IBM where he applied his engineering background to innovative leadership as a market planner. A devout Catholic, he was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Vestal, NY. Most recently a member of the Church of the Holy Child and a lifetime member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association. He loved being at the water, whether visiting the ocean or the lake. Without a doubt, the most important thing in Tom's life was his family. He and Betty Rae were blessed with a lifelong, loving marriage that included his nine children and his twenty-four grandchildren. A Funeral Mass for Tom will be offered at 11:30 A.M. on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Charles Street, Vestal. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City. The family will receive friends from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. Friday at the Coleman & Daniels Funeral Home, Inc., 765 Main St., Vestal.