Thomas "Tom" Gerard Altman

Thomas “Tom” Gerard Altman, 64, a resident of North Fort Myers, FL for the past 11 years, formerly of Long Beach Island, NJ, passed away Monday, May 25, 2020 in Cape Coral, FL. He was born November 28, 1955 in Philadelphia, PA to Joseph and Margaret Altman, now deceased.

Remembering Tom is to smile.  He was fun, mindfully jolly, expert in favorite niche topics.  When he arrived at a family gathering, we would say “the fun has arrived.”  That often meant he arrived with his own curated collection of hot sauces-challenging anyone to beat his tolerance for chili.  And it meant playing poker with nieces and nephews.  His favorite move was to ante-up with wild gesticulations and expressions, never mind the move was baseless.  We laughed til we hurt.

Tom lived most of his childhood in Churchville, PA and graduated from Council Rock North High School in Newtown.  He loved Bucks County, earning an associates degree from BCCC, playing music at Bucks County Playhouse, waiting tables, bartending, teaching music lessons. Tom was accomplished on clarinet and saxophone.  He owned the Kite Store in Surf City, NJ. Early retirement brought him to Florida.

His love of gadgets included telescopes and obscure kitchen tools. He was an avid sailor, windsurfer, creative cook, amateur astronomer, and Eagles fan. He often swam daily, outperforming his own personal best records routinely. Tom was raised in the Catholic faith; he could (and would) wax on a range of topics from existential curiosity to fierce weather systems. And then there are the stories of his collie dogs...

Planted squarely in the middle, Tom is survived by two older and two younger sisters who loved him like crazy: Joanne Syversen (Robert) of Cape Coral, Kathy Altman (Ivy Schwartz) of Tucson, AZ, Mary Ellen Lehmann (Michael) of NY, NY, and Colleen A. White (Jason) of Acton, MA; adoring nieces and nephews Rachel, SG, Julien, Danny, Connor, Abby, Graham; as well as his best friend of more than 40 years, Bill Metzler of Pennsburg, PA. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Due to the Covid crisis, no formal services are planned at this time. A celebration and disposition of ashes will be held at a future date.

Memorial Contributions in memory of Tom Altman are suggested to Hope Hospice, 9470 Healthpark Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.