Thomas Frangos

Thomas George Frangos (Tom), age 92, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on July 8, 2024.

Born on October 20, 1931, in Middletown, New York, Tom was the beloved husband of Joan for 65 years. He was a loving father to his children and their spouses, Lisa (Mickey Dossey), Penny (Tom Clements), and George (Annabelle Freeman), and a cherished grandfather to Maddy, Callie, Sarah, Zoë, Gigi, and Jack.

Tom was known for his intelligence, kindness, humor, and unwavering dedication to his family, friends, and community.

Tom's parents, George and Georgia Frangos immigrated from Greece. They raised Tom and his younger brother, Jim, in a loving home above the luncheonette his family owned and operated. Tom attended Middletown High School, where he excelled in academics and sports and was voted "most intelligent" by his classmates. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and after graduation, he proudly served in the United States Army before enrolling in and completing his J.D. at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Tom first met his life's partner, Joan, in his youth at a church summer camp at Hunter Lake, New York. Neither he nor Joan could have known then that years later, when Tom returned home from service, they would meet again, fall in love, and spend their lives together.

Tom had a distinguished career working for over 40 years in the field of environmental engineering and law. At The Department of Natural Resources in Madison, Wisconsin, Tom was an early defender of the environment and headed the state's antipollution agency. Later, in Washington, D.C., he worked at the Department of Energy in regulation and directed the supervision and compliance of nuclear energy facilities across the country. Before retiring he was an environmental consultant at Jacobs Engineering. In addition to his career, Tom engaged in work for his community. He served for many years as President of the Assumption Greek Orthodox church in Madison Wisconsin, he was a board member of The Historical Society of Warwick New York, and was a 14-year volunteer at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Tom was a patriot who loved all things American. He had a profound love for baseball, jazz, and American history. As a lifelong Giants fan, he found joy in following his team and admired Willie Mays as a personal hero. His collection of American history books reflected his passion for understanding the nation's past.

Tom enjoyed good food and travel. Joan and Tom traveled to over 20 countries and enjoyed numerous "epic" family dinners. He found weekly satisfaction in completing the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.

Tom will be remembered for his love of life, family, friends, and country.

Tom is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, niece (Alexandra Frangos), nephew (George Frangos), and friends who will miss him dearly.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Benevolent Fund at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral (atlgoc.org) or to The Atkinson-Schuler Fund at Holy Trinity Parish (HolyTrinityDecatur.org). A funeral service will be held at Holy Trinity Parish, 515 E Ponce de Leon, Decatur, GA 30030, on August 6 at 11 am.