Thomas G. Stocker

Thomas Gerard Stocker, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2026, leaving behind a life filled with family, friendship, adventure, hard work, and countless memories.

Tom was born in Irvington, New Jersey, on April 3, 1944, to Charles and Annemarie Stocker. He was the youngest of three children, joining his siblings, Charles and Joyce. He grew up in Irvington, but some of his happiest memories were made at the Jersey Shore, where his family spent summers in Seaside Park. The beach became a lifelong part of who Tom was—a place where he played, relaxed, made friends, and ultimately met the love of his life.

From childhood through adulthood, Tom was passionate about sports. He played baseball, basketball, and beach volleyball and loved the camaraderie, competition, and friendships that came with them. His talent on the basketball court and baseball field was something he carried with pride throughout his life. A graduate of Seton Hall Prep in 1962, Tom was recently honored by being inducted into the Seton Hall Hall of Fame as a member of the 1961 championship basketball team and the 1960 Hall of Fame baseball team. He went on to attend Seton Hall College.

It was during one of those summers in Seaside Park that Tom met Sonia Sibaja Lopez, the woman who would become the love of his life. They married on January 29, 1967, beginning a marriage filled with love, family, adventure, and a lifetime of shared memories.

Tom briefly served in the United States Navy as a Seabee before being honorably discharged. His love of the outdoors, his natural curiosity, and his ability to see possibilities where others saw only an empty space eventually led him to build a career of his own. He founded his own construction company and went on to build homes, banks, and industrial buildings throughout the country. Tom loved starting projects. He loved the process of watching an idea take shape and had a particular passion for being involved in the design and details of what he built.

But the greatest things Tom built were not made of wood, steel, or concrete. They were the life and family he created.

Tom and Sonia raised two children, Gerard and Jennifer, whom he adored. He passed along to them his love of sports, the beach, travel, adventure, and wanderlust—the desire to see what was around the next corner and discover somewhere new. He taught them, often without saying much, to appreciate good food, beautiful places, a good game, and the simple pleasure of being together.

Tom had a remarkable sense of direction and an even greater sense of curiosity. He loved fine food, the outdoors, traveling, and being part of the creation of something from the ground up. He was intelligent and endlessly curious, always interested in learning, exploring, and understanding how things worked. He possessed a wonderful dry sense of humor that could catch you by surprise and make you laugh when you least expected it.

Most of all, Tom was kind.

He was welcoming and inclusive, and he had a way of making people feel comfortable simply by being himself. He rarely had a harsh word for anyone. His kindness was quiet and genuine, never something he needed to announce. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, a caring brother and uncle, and a loyal friend.

Tom leaves behind his beloved wife, Sonia, who is surrounded by the love of the family they created together. She is held close by their son, Gerard, his wife, Virginia, and their three children, Jacob, Daniel, and Maria; and by their daughter, Jennifer, and her children, Juliana, Eliza, Luke, and Lucinda, and his many nieces and nephews in the US and Costa Rica. Together, they will carry forward the love, lessons, laughter, traditions, and memories that Tom gave them throughout his life.

His greatest legacy will not be found only in the buildings he constructed or the accomplishments he achieved, but in the family he loved so deeply and the lives he touched along the way. His stories, his humor, his kindness, his curiosity, and his love of life will live on through his children, grandchildren, family, and friends.

And perhaps most of all, Tom’s greatest gift was the love he and Sonia shared for nearly six decades—a love that created a family and a lifetime of memories that will continue long after his passing.

Tom will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever carried in the hearts of all those fortunate enough to have known him.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered 10:30 AM Friday, September 18, 2026 at St. Luke Catholic Church, Palm Springs, Florida, the Rev. Andrew Brierley Celebrant.

Arrangements are in the care of Tillman Funeral Home & Crematory, 2170 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Florida.