Thomas J. Davis passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Menlo Park. He was 91.
He was surrounded and comforted by his entire family and close friends during his final days there.
Tom was born on Feb. 3, 1934, in Jersey City to James and Mary (McCabe) Davis. A proud Jersey City-ite through and through, Tom was the youngest of the Davis Clan from Duncan & Westside.
He graduated from St. Aloysius High School in 1952 and enjoyed many of his class reunions during the years.
After serving valiantly as a chaplain’s assistant in the U.S. Army in Korea for two years, Tom briefly worked at California Texas Oil Co.
There he met the love of his life, Pat (Morgan), whom he married in 1961. He persuaded the Brooklyn girl to move across the river to the Jersey side, and eventually they settled in the beautiful Pinecliff Lake section of West Milford, where they lovingly raised their four children.
Tom served for three decades as a senior vice president of the Pinecliff Lake Men’s Club, proudly chairing the Entertainment Committee, a role he was born to play.
He loved his summers at Pinecliff, where he was adored by multiple generations of friends and helped co-produce some of the legendary shows held at the club in the ’80s and ’90s.
Tom also was a longtime parishioner of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Hewitt, where he served as a lector and Eucharistic Minister and became lifelong friends of many of the Franciscan Friars there.
For more than 30 years, Tom worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a train engineer for the PATH Division.
At the time of his passing, he held the distinction of being the oldest living retiree from PATH, a crown he wore boldly until the very end.
Tom will be reunited with his beloved Pat, who passed away in 1992 after their 31 wonderful years of marriage.
In addition to his wife, Tom was predeceased by his parents; his six brothers, James, John, Andrew, Joseph, Robert and Vincent; and his two sisters, Anne and Marguerite. Another brother (Thomas I) died at birth.
Tom was most proud of his wonderful family. Left to continue his legacy are his four children and their supportive spouses: his loving and devoted daughter, Mary Sheridan, and her husband, Pat, of Spring Lake Heights and his three grateful sons, Andy and his wife Sally of Fanwood, Tom and his wife Kate of Sea Girt, and Tim and his wife Krista of Morristown.
Pop-pop will be missed most by his seven beautiful grandchildren whom he adored and cherished: Meghan and Kerry Sheridan; Mattie, Audrey and Bridget Davis; and Ronan and Emmet Davis.
He also is survived by one brother-in-law, Michael Morgan, and his wife, Alice, of Memphis, Tenn.
Tom’s Irish wit, kindness and hi-jinx will fondly be remembered by his many nephews, nieces, friends and extended family who will no doubt be toasting to memories of him for years to come.
Tom was truly “one of a kind” who simply loved people and a festive time, no matter the occasion!
The visitation will be held for Tom at Paul Ippolito Summit, 7 Summit Ave., Summit, on Thursday, June 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 1571 S. Martine Ave., Scotch Plains, on Friday, June 20 at10 a.m. The Mass will be livestreamed on the IHM YouTube channel: youtube.com/@ihmnj?si=tkV6wnvI62KNU4kI
Burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington will be private.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Independence 360 (spectrum360.org/independence360/ ).
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the team at the Veterans Home for their kindness and compassion during Tom’s eight months there.