Thomas A. Loeber entered into his eternal rest on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at home after a long battle with multiple health issues.
   Tom was born to the late Henry and Elizabeth Loeber, a master tool/die maker and teacher respectively, on September 20, 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up in the greater Milwaukee area surrounded by many family and friends.
  Tom joined the US Navy and served from 1952 to 1957 during the Korean War. He was very athletic, playing football for both his high school and on his Navy team. As an excellent swimmer, he served on the Underwater Demolition Team and was known as a “Frogman”. His teammates teased him that his feet were so wide he didn’t need fins. After he completed his military service, he attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering and spent years working at shipyards doing design work for submarines. He also worked in aerospace design at Lockheed. He worked selling tools to machine shops.  Later, he worked as an independent insurance representative.  He spent his later years self-employed distributing industrial cleaning products.
   Tom enjoyed working with wood, building cabinets, decks, or refinishing furniture. He loved being able to assist friends with various projects. He was delighted to do anything with ships.  He loved to sail, but didn’t get much opportunity in later years. Tom was an avid reader of history, especially WWII history. He loved football, and could tell you more about the Green Bay Packers than you really wanted to know!
   Tom was an active member of Lutheran churches all his life. He was educated in Lutheran schools and served on many boards and committees in the church for most of his life. Tom has been a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for about 22 years. Tom will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
   Tom is survived by his wife of 55 years Blanche Stevens Loeber; his son Robert (Bob) and his wife Miriam Birnbaum Loeber; grand- children Jeffrey and Jennifer Loeber; and older brother Reverend Henry A. Loeber of New Jersey. He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother Arthur A. Loeber.
   In lieu of flowers, the  family requests donations may be made to Bella Vista Christian Academy Tracy (http://www.bellavistaca.org), or to God’s Littlest Angels (http://www.glahaiti.org).
   A celebration of Tom’s life will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1635 Chester Drive, in Tracy on Saturday, February,10 at 10:00am.

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Wednesday, February 7, 2018