NORTH WEBSTER – Thomas R. “Tom” Plew, 70, of North Webster, passed away at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2017, at Grace Village Healthcare, Winona Lake.
He was born Sept. 25, 1946, to Bertis “Bert” and Julia Bruno Plew.
He graduated from Warsaw High School and earned a degree from Sam’s Technical Institute in Indianapolis. He served in the United States Navy for four years as a Machinery Repairman aboard the destroyer escort USS Calcaterra.
On May 21, 1993, he was married in Warsaw to Elizabeth A. “Betty” Burger Schaffer, who preceded him in death on Feb. 17, 2014.
He retired after 30 years from DePuy Orthopedics/Johnson & Johnson as a tooling services manager and was a certified manufacturing engineer. He was a lifetime Warsaw/North Webster area resident.
He was an active member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church of Warsaw where he held many offices including elder and president, and was a 50-year member of American Legion Post 253 serving as post adjutant and a member of the Honor Guard firing detail. In 2010, Tom was named North Webster Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year. He was a director and Weed Committee Chairman of the Webster Lake Conservation Association and was director and secretary of the Dixie Sternwheeler Inc. He was instrumental in the preservation of the historic Dixie Boat and spent many evenings on his back porch waiting for the Dixie to pass by.
He is survived by two sons, Ehren (Holly) Plew, Valparaiso, and Cameron (Christa) Plew, Warsaw; a stepson, Scott Schaffer, North Webster; best friend and companion, Cindy Berghoff, Columbia City; two grandchildren, Caroline and Wilbur; two sisters , Kathy (Don) LeCount, Leesburg, and Jill (Ron) Cook, Warsaw; two brothers, Mike (Amy) Plew, Cape Charles, Va., and Kim Plew, Warsaw, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, at Owen Family Funeral Home, Ind. 13 and CR 500N, North Webster, and one hour prior to services on Tuesday at the church.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1720 E. Center St., Warsaw, with Pastor Michael Mueller officiating. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday in the North Webster Cemetery.
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Preferred memorials may be given to Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1720 E. Center St., Warsaw, IN 46580.
To send condolences to the family in memory of Tom Plew, please visit www.owenfamilyfuneralhome.com.
