Obituary of Thomas Keener Spruth

THOMAS K. SPRUTH, 81, of Mendham, NJ and Twin Bridges, MT died on April 5, 2011 of prostate cancer. He grew up in Lake Bluff, IL and was a 1952 graduate of Brown University. During his college years he spent three years as an US Army infantry officer before going on to complete his degree. He also attended post graduate programs at Harvard and the University of Pittsburgh. Out of college, he began his career in the phone business, spending 23 years as an operations manager with Bell Telephone Co of Pennsylvania before moving to AT&T headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. He retired after 15 years there as a Vice President in the Financial Organization with various responsibilities for the Bell System divestiture and reorganization. Upon retirement he built his beloved cabin on the Big Hole River in Montana where he loved to fish and work on his land. He traveled extensively, with many memorable sailing trips with friends, theater trips to London, visits to family in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Shanghai and a New Zealand and Australia tour he rated as excellent. Tom served on a number of civic boards including Blue Shield/Blue Cross of Northeast Pennsylvania, Williamsport Industrial Development Corp. and Mendham Area Senior Housing. In addition to sailing, skiing, hiking, fishing and hunting, he loved going to the theater and opera in New York City. Tom excelled at making and keeping friends. He maintained friendships with people from his early boyhood through all stages of his life and delighted in gathering old and new friends for dinners and parties. He was a member of Hilltop Church in Mendham, and the Texas and Blockhouse Hunting and Fishing Club in Pennsylvania. Tom was fortunate to share 46 wonderful years with his wife, Susan Stevens Spruth who died in 2001. He is survived by: his dearest friend, Maud Thiebaud; son Steve, his wife, Frances Durkin and their children Henry and Jack of Minneapolis, Minnesota; son David and his two children, Max and Julian of Arlington, Virginia; and daughter, Karen and her husband John Baynes of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Spruth family would like to thank all of our friends and family for your support and friendship. Warm gratitude to Christie Ponessa and the wonderful care received from the VNA (Visiting Nurses Association of Somerset Hills). There is going to be a private graveside service for the family later this spring. Arrangements by the Bailey Funeral Home of Mendham. www.baileyfuneralhomes.com