Thomas Stanley Gancarz

Thomas Stanley Gancarz – May 11, 1937 – August 6, 2026

Thomas Stanley Gancarz, known to just about everyone as Tom or Tommy, passed away on August 6, 2026, in New Orleans with family. He was 89 years old. Knowing Tom, he went out with a smile on his face, patiently waiting for a chance to deliver the next one liner. Tom was born on May 11, 1937, in Manchester, New Hampshire. After growing up there and graduating from Manchester West High School, he ventured far from his New England roots. He enlisted in the Air Force and served nearly a decade in Turkey and in Germany. His last assignment was with Air Force Intelligence at Fort Meade, Maryland which led to his civilian career at the National Security Agency. In addition to NSA Tom went on to proudly serve more than thirty years as a reservist at Dover Air Force Base. While at Dover, he was re-activated during the Gulf War in 1990 and 91. Working with US Mail and military airlift operations, we believe he delivered smiles to our troops overseas. In 1979, Tom and his ex wife Patricia Proctor and two sons moved to Brooklyn, New York. There, the family ran a thriving Tupperware business expanding the sales force and distributing products to Tupperware dealers throughout New York City for several years. For all his accomplishments, Tom was proudest of his golf game. He won dozens of tournaments over the years, and remarkably sank four holes-in-one in his lifetime. Tom was one of the earliest members of the Clowns Group. For almost 40 years the group held golf tournaments twice a year at the Caledonia Golf Club in Pennsylvania. Tom participated in almost every one. Tom chose to retire in Dover Delaware where he found a wonderful community at the Modern Maturity Center. He loved line dancing with his fiancée, Stephanie Didonato and the two proudly participated in nearly every dance or show at the center for almost three decades. Anyone who knew Tom knew he was usually smiling. He had a quick wit and was forever making those around him laugh. Ever the jester and sometimes the pest, he always brought fun to whatever the event. He was deeply generous with the people he loved while at the same time choosing a simple frugal life for himself. Tom is survived by his two sons, Dean Gancarz-Davies, Bernard Gancarz and his partner Stephanie DiDonato. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Mary Gancarz; his brothers, Joseph and Theodore Gancarz, and his sister Janice Gancarz Family and friends are invited to join us for the burial Friday 10/9 at 1pm at DelawareVeterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Rd, Bear, Delaware. Following the burial we will celebrate his life with a luncheon at The Executive Banquet Center: 205 Executive Drive in Newark, DE; Friday 10/9 at 2:30pm. Everyone is invited to share a story or joke that you heard Tom tell. We will eat together and hopefully our Modern Maturity friends will lead us in some line dancing. Instead of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Modern Maturity Center in Tom's name. Please email your name to deangancarz@gmail.com or text 504-494-9582 if you plan to attend either or both events. Thank you