Thomas L. Brenneman, 67 of Delphos, passed away Saturday, September 29 at the Cleveland Clinic after a brief battle with leukemia. He was born March 4, 1951, the youngest son of Nile M. and Elizabeth J. “Betty” (Humphreys) Brenneman, who preceded him in death. On July 25, 1970 he married Vivian Kill, who died Feb.
11, 1972. He was then married Carolyn Thorburn until the couple divorced in 1990. On August 12, 2005, he married Bobbie (Axe) Bryan, who survives.
Also surviving are a daughter Sandra (Douglas) Knauf of Canton; twin sons James (Sunny) Brenneman of Jersey City, NJ and Jason (Linda) Brenneman of Madison, NJ. ; five grandchildren, Riley, Gabrielle, and Charlotte Knauf of Canton, and Lindsay and Eli Brenneman of Madison, NJ; a step-son Chad (Susan) Bryan of Elida; a step-daughter Niki (Craig) Holcomb of Elida; 4 step-grandchildren, Trevor and Danielle Crouch of Elida, and Dylan and Cody Bryan of Elida; and a step-great granddaughter Ellie Archuleta of Elida. Mr. Brenneman is also survived by a sister Judy (Steve) Fisher of Silt, CO.
He was preceded in death by a brother, David Joseph “Joe” Brenneman. Tom was a 1969 graduate of Delphos Jefferson High School. After high school, Tom attended F.C.C. schooling in Fredericksburg, MD to earn his First Class Radiotelegraph Operator’s license.
He then worked several years at WLIO-TV in Lima. After WLIO, he had been a small business owner and had worked in manufacturing and agricultural equipment sales. He served as a Marion Township Trustee for 12 years and as a Delphos City Councilman for 2 years.
Tom had attended Trinity United Methodist Church in Delphos and Zion United Methodist Church in Elida. Tom was a very active Freemason, having earned the 33rd Degree of the Scottish Rite. He had held several offices at Hope Lodge #214 in Delphos including Secretary and Worshipful Master, and had served as a District Deputy Grand Master of the 10th Masonic District.
He was a member of numerous other Masonic affiliated organizations over the years and will be missed greatly by his Brethren. In 2014, Tom was the recipient of a bilateral lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic. The family would like to show our love and appreciation to the staff in the transplant unit of the Cleveland Clinic and the numerous doctors, nurses and therapists at the Cleveland Clinic, St. Rita’s Hospital, and St. Rita’s Oncology Department who helped Tom and family enjoy the last four years of his life.
Funeral services will be held at Zion United Methodist Church in Elida, on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. Reverend Niel Whitney will officiate. Burial will follow at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Cemetery in Delphos. Visitation will be held on Friday, October 5, 2018, from 2-8 at Harter and Schier Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the Church.
In lieu of flowers the family would like donations to be made to Life Banc or Leukemia Foundation.
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