Franklin Thomas 'Tom' Unruh, 73
Franklin Thomas "Tom" Unruh, of Taylors Bridge, DE, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, July 10, 2022.
Born in Elkton, MD, on January 2, 1949, he was a son of the late William G. and Wilhelmina Mackie Unruh. Tom proudly served his country in the United States Army National Guard from 1971-1977. He was a 1971 graduate of the University of Delaware, majoring in Plant Science. He started his career at the Ichthyological Associates in Middletown, DE, where he was a Senior Research Biologist from 1971-77, studying phytoplankton in the Delaware River. Tom and his wife, June, bought their dream farm, Taylors Bridge Farm, in 1977 on Route 9 along the banks of the Delaware River.
Tom was a farmland preservation pioneer and among the first group of farmers in Delaware to preserve his farms. He was a staple of the farming industry and an active member of his community. Tom was a member of the Delaware Farm Bureau, New Castle County Farm Bureau, Delaware State Grange, Odd Fellows, Delaware Sporting and Trapping Clays, and he was a Councilman for the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Commission.
In addition to his parents, Tom was preceded in death by his siblings, Delbert A. Unruh, William "Billy" Unruh, and Jo-Ell Malloy. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, June Webster Unruh; loving children, T. Scott Unruh (Pam) and Lori June Unruh-Snyder (Justin); siblings, Covey Unruh (Becky) and Martha McDowell (late Larry McDowell); grandchildren, Cooper Mackie Unruh, and Reagan Claire "R.C." Unruh, his devoted 4-legged companion, "Chester"; and many special cousins, nieces, and nephews. Tom loved to spend time with his family; he also loved trapping, fishing, and hunting and was a compassionate steward of the land, especially the marshlands surrounding Blackbird Creek. He especially enjoyed duck hunting, taking his daily rides around the farm with "Chester" and vacations with his wife, "Junie."
A visitation for family and friends will be held from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 16, 2022, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 275 East Main Street, Middletown, DE, where a funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Friendship United Methodist Church Cemetery, 139 Paddock Road, Townsend, DE.
Tom was a recipient of a kidney donated from his lovely sister, Martha. In lieu of flowers, donations in Tom's memory may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016 or to Taylors Bridge Community Center, 121 Flemings Land Road, Townsend, DE 19734.
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