Obituary of Thomas Robert Westenberger
Thomas Robert Westenberger, 90, of Boonton Township, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of Friday, October 27, 2023.
Thomas was a lifelong resident of the area, born at home in 1932 to his parents, George Thomas (also known as “Dutch” or “Westy”) and Marion (Hynes) Westenberger. Upon graduation from Boonton High School, he joined the United States Navy and was part of the Naval Construction Battalion, better known as the SeaBees. A devoted family man, he married his wife, Shirley (Cilwa) in 1956. After an honorable discharge from the Navy, he returned home and started his plumbing companies, Deerfield Plumbing & Heating and Westenberger Mechanical Contractors, with his brother, Joseph Westenberger. They employed many men over several decades, providing excellent service and earning the respect of many in the construction industry.
Thomas was a lifelong volunteer fireman, initially with the Montville Fire Department – Taylortown Excelsior Company No. 2. He later joined the Boonton Township Fire Department in 1969 and served as chief. He was instrumental in establishing a junior fire department, one of the first in the country. He was a strong advocate for smoke detectors in the home.
Upon Tom’s passing, the whitetail deer and the rainbow trout populations breathed a collective sigh of relief, as he was a legendary hunter of big bucks and an exceptional trout fisherman. He relished time spent at his cabin in Pike County, PA, where he savored the outdoors with his family and friends. Tom established the Deerfield Gun Club, which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary.
Thomas is survived by his children, Laura Ryan and her husband, Bill; Dr. Thomas Westenberger and his wife, Meg; Mark Westenberger; Lynn Westenberger; and Darren Westenberger; his grandchildren, Ashlynn, Devon, and Kyler Weir; Caitlin, Sam, and Emily Westenberger; Alycia, Mark, Chelsea, and Kevin Westenberger; Torin and Story Westenberger; and his great-grandchildren, Ricardo, Elias, Quentin, Dominic, Lucia, Vincent, Layla, Matthew, and Brayden. He is also survived by his sister, Rita Theriault and her husband, Don. He was predeceased by his wife, Shirley (Cilwa); his brothers, George and Joseph; his sisters, Marion Knott and Frieda Whiteside; and his daughter-in-law, Kristen.
Visitation with the family will be Friday, November 3rd from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Codey & Mackey Funeral Home of Boonton. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30am in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Boonton. Cremation and inurnment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, you can donate to the Boonton Township Fire Department or the Montville Animal Shelter, 7 Church Lane, Montville, NJ 07045, in memory of Tom and Shirley Westenberger.
To share condolences with the family, please visit CodeyMackeyFH.com