Thomas Harvey Reppert's Obituary
Thomas Harvey Reppert was born in Charleston, West Virginia on December 27, 1933 to Cloyde and Violet Reppert. His family moved several times during the Great Depression. He carried fond memories of his boyhood in Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. The family eventually settled in Towson, Maryland, Where his brother Brian was born. In 1953 he graduated from Towson High School.
Shortly after graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a meteorologist aboard the USS Orikany aircraft carrier. After completing his service, he married the love of his life, Mary Martha Holobaugh, and together they welcomed two daughters — Jean Marie, born in 1960, and Victoria (“Tory”) Lynn, born in 1963.
Following his time in the Navy, he began a long and distinguished career with the National Weather Service, where he served for 38 years before retiring. But retirement didn’t slow him down. He started a second career as a chemist for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he worked for 15 years before finally retiring at age 83.
Throughout his life, he was a man of many talents and passions. He enjoyed being on the water and in the mountains of West Virginia, where he and his brother built a cabin, the setting of many found family memories. He was a skilled woodworker and furniture maker, crafting Shaker-style pieces, Windsor chairs, and beautiful handmade clocks in his pristine garage workroom; legendary amongst his grandchildren. He built three boats, two telescopes, and was an avid stargazer, a passion passed down to his daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. A true craftsman and collector, his curiosity and creativity never waned.
Above all, he was a man of deep faith and a devote Lutheran. His life was marked by integrity, devotion to his family, and a quiet love for learning and creating. Thomas Reppert is joined in eternity with his wife Mary Martha Reppert and his eldest daughter Jean Marie Waldorf. He is survived by his brother Brian Reppert and wife Claudia, his daughter Victoria (Tory) Reppert and Tanya Baker, daughter adopted by love, son-in-law James Waldorf, granddaughter, Lauren Waldorf Mendenhall and husband Brendan, grandsons Aaron Waldorf and wife Alex, and Brian Waldorf and wife Erin. He was the beloved great-grandfather to David Waldorf, Felicity and Eva Mendenhall, and Timon Brown. He will be remembered for his steady hands, inquisitive mind, and the warmth he brought to everyone who knew him.
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