Earle Thomas "Tom" Dewey, Jr.

Earle Thomas “Tom” Dewey, Jr., passed away on July 21, 2021. He was a vibrant, active 89-year-old who, unless reading, was found hiking, skiing (snow and water), swimming, camping, canoeing, or playing tennis, golf or board games. His partner for every adventure, and love of his life, was Isabel; they were married for nearly 63 years.

Tom was born in 1931 in San Francisco, California, to Earle and Margaret Dewey. He went east to Dartmouth College, from which he graduated in 1953, and then entered Officer Candidate School at Quantico and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. His pride of service lasted throughout his life, and he truly embodied “once a Marine, always a Marine.”

Following his discharge, he began a career in sales spending weekends as a ski patrol at Sugar Bowl in the Sierras, where he met Isabel. His work took them to Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area where they stayed until 1973. After landing a position with the U.S. Postal Service (you can thank him for the 9-digit zip code), the family moved to McLean, Virginia. He retired in 1992 and relocated to Stoney Creek in Nellysford, Virginia, where he began his second career as a golf course starter for Wintergreen, which he did for some 20 years, continuing even after they moved to Summit Square in Waynesboro in 2015.

In addition to Isabel, Tom is survived by his three daughters—Linda Hoffsis (David) of Rockville, Maryland; Pamela Dewey (Kevin Opstedal) of Santa Cruz, California; and Lisa “Ady” Dewey of Waynesboro—and three granddaughters and three great-grandchildren.

Tom’s mantra was “Let’s go!” He was happiest outdoors, with his family and with friends. He loved to travel, to tell stories, and to take pictures. He lived life to the full.

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