Thomas VanFossen

Thomas Richard VanFossen Jr., 79, of Hopkinton passed away Dec. 10.

Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Helene (Cummiskey) and Thomas Richard VanFossen Sr. He was the beloved husband of 47 years to the late Ruth (Kelley) VanFossen.

Thomas Richard Van Fossen Jr. received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State and served as copilot and then aircraft commander with the 176th Assault Helicopter Company stationed in Chu Lai, Vietnam, and 61st Assault Helicopter Companies stationed in An Khe, Vietnam. He was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Bronze Star and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. After leaving the military, he worked for a number of years for General Electric, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft as a subcontract manager in the aerospace industry. In retirement, he enjoyed playing bridge, watching soccer and bragging about his grandchildren.

Thomas is survived by his children, Brian Thomas VanFossen and wife Betsi of San Diego, Mary-Kate VanFossen and husband Justin Gadsby of Hopkinton, and AmyVanFossen and husband Chris Dimitri of Arlington. A beloved grandpop, he also leaves behind his grandchildren, Emily VanFossen, Braeden and Emerson Gadsby, and Anderson and Beckett Dimitri.

A private interment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Wounded Warrior Project, Habitat for Humanity or Operation Delta Dog. Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.