Obituary of Thomas Neff

Thomas “Tommy” Neff, of Pittsboro, NC, passed away peacefully with his loving wife Pamela at his side on February 10, 2024, at the age of 71 years old.

Tommy and Pamela were blessed with 32 years of marriage and simply loved spending time together. They enjoyed holidays and dinners with family and friends, and took many memorable vacations, especially their tour of Italy, trips to Ireland, and Bar Harbor Maine. Tommy was a lifelong NY Yankee fan and had fun teaching Pamela the ins and outs of baseball. Since relocating to the area, Tommy shared with Pamela some of their happiest years together, and so appreciated their home life, community, and friendships.

After 32 years working for Con Edison in New York, Tommy retired as a Troubleshooter Dispatcher for the High Voltage Department. His prior position was Senior Electrical Technician which included brave work at the 9/11 World Trade Center site to help restore power to lower Manhattan. Tommy had a fervor for American Literature and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Queens College, NYC. He had a true passion for Mark Twain and liked visiting historical sites of authors as an extension of his literature interests. With a Certificate of Alcohol Counseling from Marymount College, Manhattan, Tommy made valuable contributions to the Volunteers of America. He volunteered at the Men’s Rehabilitation Center in the Bowery section of NYC, providing counseling and tutoring men for GED qualifications. Tommy also served on the board for the NCADD Westchester, NY.

Tommy is survived by his beloved wife, Pamela Neff. He leaves his two sisters and their spouses, Maureen and John, and Terry and Dave, as well as five nephews, a niece, two niece-in-laws and two grandnieces. Tommy was embraced as family by Pamela’s parents, sister Paula, and sister Sharlene and her partner Mike. He is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Regina Neff, and his father in-law and mother in-law, Wallace and Pauline Straub.

Pamela would like to express her heartfelt gratitude to their dear friends for their loving support, and to Tommy’s care teams at UNC Basnight Cancer Hospital, Chapel Hill and most recently at UNC Neurosciences Hospital, Chapel Hill, and UNC Hospice Home, Pittsboro. The doctors, nurses and nurse aides treated Tommy with the utmost compassion and dignity.

A Funeral Mass is scheduled for Monday, February 26^th, at 10:30 a.m., at St. John Fisher Chapel, located at St. Thomas More South Campus, Chapel Hill, NC. Father Nicolas Rapkoch will officiate the ceremony. The Mass will be livestreamed and can be viewed at https://youtube.com/live/pKMlxGalimQ?feature=share. Given the requirements of Lent, there will be no flowers for the service. In lieu of flowers, if one is inclined, memorial contributions may be made in Tommy’s name to the Stephen Stiller Tunnel to Tower Foundation (t2t.org) or an organization of choice.