Thomas Samuel Arrington

Thomas (Tom) Samuel Arrington was killed in a tragic vehicle accident on October 1, 2021 in Danvers, Massachusetts while on vacation. He was born in Gary, Indiana on February 16, 1952, to Gilbert and Alfrida (Burgess) Arrington. Tom Graduated from Highland High School in Highland, IN in 1970. He then attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN where he met the love of his life, Sherri (Wardlow) Arrington. He graduated with a BA in Supervision and Management in 1976. Tom and Sherri were married on August 14, 1976, in Osceola, IN. They moved from Indiana to South Dakota to Wyoming, back to South Dakota, to Alaska, to California and back to Alaska during their 45-year marriage adventure. 

As an educator, Tom touched the lives of hundreds of students. Tom believed in nurturing the whole person, making sure one had acquired life skills, not just academic or technical training.  He truly felt joyful about his chosen profession as an educator because he gained as much from his students as they did from him. Tom would help anyone with anything.  Carpentry, mechanical, artistic endeavors, sports, you name it, he would assist in any way he could. Tom was preceded in death by his mother and father.

He is survived by his wife, Sherri (Wardlow) Arrington, his daughter, Jennifer (Arrington) Hoadley, his son, Jonathan Arrington, his brother Daniel Arrington and his three grandchildren, James, Jackson and Molly Hoadley. 

A celebration of life will be held on October 16th at Cruz Family Funeral home; 1109 Lincolnway West Osceola, IN 46561. Viewing begins at 1:00 PM, Service at 2:00. The family invites you to join them for a meal after the service at Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship, 58362 Beech Rd, Osceola, IN 46561.  For those unable to attend services, Tom’s celebration of life will be broadcast in real time beginning at 2:00pm EST. Please visit www.CruzFamilyFH.com and click on Tom’s personal webpage just prior to the start of his service.

He was a devoted father, grandfather and husband. When his children were young you could find him shuffling them from basketball to ju-jitsu while practicing spelling words in the car between practices. He attended every game and competition he could. As a grandfather he spent Sunday nights at family dinners, playing croquet and board games with James, Jack and Molly. During the summers he and Sherri would travel with the grandkids taking them all across the US to explore and learn. As a husband, he worked hard to make sure every need was met. He spent time building Sherri elaborate backyard gardens. Together they traveled to places neither had been before. They had planned a trip to New England this fall, Australia next summer and Peru in 2023 to celebrate Sherri’s 70th birthday. 

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make a donation to your local school’s vocational education department or local blood bank.  To leave a message of comfort for the family, light a virtual candle in Tom’s memory, or share a story of his life, please follow the links provided on the tribute wall tab above.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Thomas Samuel Arrington, please visit our floral store.