1951-52 Mountaineer passes away

1951-52 WVU The Mountaineer Tom Deveny passed away on Saturday, September 3 as WVU opened another football season, against Missouri. He was 86.

Tom Deveny

Tom was a WVU Law School graduate and attorney.

He lived in Akron, Ohio and Naples, Florida.

His obituary:

Thomas Augustus Deveny III

Thomas Augustus Deveny III, 86, passed away peacefully on September 3, 2016.

Preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann in February, 2015 and daughter Susan in 2007, he is survived by his sons, Cliff (Sandy) of Carbondale/Denver, Colo. and Chris (Kathy) of Glencoe, Il; son-in-law, Jon Pavloff of Akron: and nine grandchildren, Alex, Andrew, Tatiana Pavloff, Hannah, Robbie, Maggie, Colin, Kamryn and Kelley Deveny; brothers, Jim (Linda) and John (Holly).

Tom was a graduate of The University of West Virginia (B.A. ’52) and College of Law (’57). Tom was elected the West Virginia Mountaineer mascot for the 1951-52 season and was a devoted fan ’til the end. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 1954 after serving in Newfoundland, Canada. He proudly worked for The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for 31 years in the law department. After retirement he served as a mentor for entrepreneurs with the Akron chapter of SCORE. He served on many community nonprofit boards including Stan Hywet and Old Trail School.

Tom was a member and served twice as the senior warden of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and was a member of Trinity by The Sea Episcopal Church, Naples, Florida. He was a member of Portage Country Club, Rockwell Springs, and The Naples Yacht Club.

Tom will be remembered for his sense of humor, kindness and always being a gentleman. He made everyone feel at ease and always lifted up those around him. He was selfless and focused on helping others achieve their goals.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 10 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the chapel at 11 a.m. A reception for friends and family will be held immediately afterwards at Portage Country Club. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hospice of Summa, P.O. Box 2090, Akron 44398 or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1361 West Market Street, Akron, OH 44313. Send a condolence or light a candle, visit the tribute wall at www.billowfuneralhomes. com. (Billow Fairlawn)