Obituary of Thomas A. Devlin

Thomas Aloysius Devlin, a devoted husband and loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on March 13, 2012, in Fort Myers, Fl. He was 92. A Mass of Christian burial will be offered March 27 at 9 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 13031 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers. Born Feb. 19, 1920 and raised in Jersey City, N.J., Thomas was graduated from Dickinson High School and worked at the Western Electric Co. before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1942. Prior to shipping out to Europe, he married, on Feb. 19, 1943, the love of his life, Dorothy Marsano. After qualifying for the U.S. Signal Corps and receiving specialized training at Rutgers University, he served overseas in First U.S. Army and, later, in the Twelfth Army Group. He earned four battle stars on his European Campaign Ribbon, taking part in four separate campaigns -- beginning with Normandy -- as he soldiered his way across Europe to victory, before coming home to the woman and oldest child he loved. Thomas was Deputy Warden of the Hudson County Jail in Jersey City, N.J., where he worked for 35 years. He lived in Westfield and Roselle Park, N.J., before retiring and moving to Lawrenceville, Ga. and Fort Myers, Fl. He loved crosswords and reading, devouring every newspaper and magazine within his reach daily. Mostly, he loved being with his wife of 69 years, Dorothy, and was extremely proud of his family. He inspired his children and grandchildren to keep learning, to ask questions, to say their prayers, and to never say 'can't'. Thomas leaves behind his cherished wife, Dorothy; four children, Carol D. Brytczuk of State College, Pa., Leslie Devlin-Stallone of Fanwood, N.J., Thomas A. Devlin Jr. of Lilburn, Ga., and Dory Devlin Morris of Basking Ridge, N.J. ; a daughter-in-law, Melanie Howell Devlin, and two sons-in-law, Raymond Stallone and James Morris; 10 grandchildren: Jennifer Smith, Jeffrey Brytczuk, Gregory Brytczuk, and Gary Brytczuk; Thomas A. Devlin III, Joseph Devlin, and Andrew Devlin; Margaret Morris, Hugh Morris, and Bridget Morris; and seven great-grandchildren. Thomas also is survived by his brother, Edward Devlin, of Akron, Ohio, and is predeceased by his sister, Eleanor, and two brothers, Hugh and Joseph. He was the son of the late Mary and Thomas Devlin of Jersey City, N.J. Akin-Davis Funeral Home is assisting the family with these arrangements. You can light a candle and read the obituary online at www.akin-davis.com