Thomas "Tom" Alan Dezember returned home to the loving embrace of his Father in Heaven on the evening of August 22. He passed away with his wife, sons, and grandchildren at his side after a two year battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Tom was born September 23, 1946 in Evansville, Indiana to Jack and Marjorie Dezember and was the eldest of four children. Tom spent his formative years in Evansville except for brief stints living in Charleston, South Carolina and Bakersfield, California and it was in Evansville that he met Suzanne, his soul mate and the love of his life, his wife of 44 years, and his partner for eternity.

Tom joined the Army directly out of high school in 1964 where he served four years stationed throughout Fort Ord, California, Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas and Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. Upon his discharge in 1967 Tom promptly returned to Evansville to marry Suzanne. Tom and Suzanne both attended The University of Evansville where Tom earned his B.A. in Social Studies Education. It was by chance that Tom found a job at a coal power plant in Evansville and, while working for the same company, moved around the mid-west spending time in Indiana and Tennessee until 1979 when he, his wife, and their three sons moved to Phoenix, Arizona to begin a career in nuclear power. During these years Tom and Suzanne were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where Tom was a loyal servant of his Heavenly Father until the very end.

Tom, Suzanne, and his sons Stuart, Ian, and Duffy then moved to the Tri-Cities, WA in the fall of 1980 where he was employed for WPPS and Energy Northwest for the next 30 years. Their fourth son Ted was added to the family in 1982 and it was here in the Tri-Cities with his family that Tom found true happiness and was the most content. Tom loved playing racquet ball, riding his bicycle, coaching his son's sports teams, and playing golf. He was assuredly most happy when watching his sons and then his grandchildren play sports never missing a game in 20 years. Tom retired in April of 2009 from Energy Northwest and spent the next two years spending as much time with his family as possible creating many precious and memorable moments with them. Tom was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease in January of 2010, never once complaining or showing a hint of self-pity which was definitive of his character as a person.

Tom is preceded in death by his father Benjamin Jack Dezember, his mother Marjorie Dolores Bradley Dezember, his brother Ted Eugene, and his sister Tamara. He is survived by his brother Terry Wayne Mary Dezember, his wife Suzanne, and his four sons Stuart Renee, Ian Christine, Duffy Kelli and Ted Ashley. Tom also has eight grandchildren that he loved intensely, Kendall Gene, Brinley Noelle, Cooper Jack, Hadley Hope, Benjamin Morris, Camryn Jean, Mason Stuart, and Kade Christian Dezember.

A public viewing will be held at Einan's Funeral Home Thursday 8/25 evening from 5-7 pm. Funeral services will be at the LDS chapel at 3701 Watkins Way, Richland, WA 99353 at 1 pm on Friday, August 26, 2011. A second public viewing will be held the day of the funeral from 11:15-12:30 at the same location.

In lieu of flowers the Dezember family has asked that you consider donations to the ALS Association Evergreen Chapter, 19115 68th Ave S Suite #H-105 Kent, WA 98032 or at http://webwa.alsa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WA_homepage. Also, consider joining the Dezember family at the Evergreen Chapter ALS Walk on October 1. Information found at the Evergreen chapter website.