ARVADA, Colo. – Thomas M. Amberg, of Arvada, passed away on March 1, 2020.
Thomas Michael Amberg was born April 6, 1941, to George and Maxine Amberg in Sault St. Marie, Mich. His three sisters, Marlene, Nancy and Pat welcomed their little brother. Thereafter were born Margaret, Francis and Rosemarie.
The family moved to Alliance, Neb., as George managed Montgomery Wards, shortly after they moved to Scotts Bluff, Neb. The year 1947 rolled around and George opened Amberg Men’s Clothing Store in Torrington, proving to be a very special place to raise the family.
Mom and Dad instilled strong Catholic values in their children. Tom was an altar boy at St. Rose of Lima from his youth through high school. Working in high school at his father’s store he often was the best advertisement with the opportunity to sport the fashions from Dad’s store.
He participated in musicals and excelled in all athletic opportunities – basketball, baseball and track, in fact one of his track records is still unbeaten in Torrington.
His older sister Pat was his best friend, inseparable growing up. He used to tell the story that when they picked teams for neighborhood football games, Pat was picked first before Tom. He looked up to her until the end. Football was Tom’s calling throughout high school, having a special experience making lifetime friends with his teammates, still all with busy lives, making a point keeping in touch, always looking forward to the next High school reunion.
A year after graduation, Tom joined the U.S. Air Force as an Instrument Pilot Trainer on the T-38 Talon from 1960 thru 1964 stationed at Chanute AFB, Texas. The F-14 and F-16 were his favorite planes and you could ask him facts about any plane, and he would rattle off facts. Tom was passionate about thanking Veterans for their service and enjoyed the Marines and Army fellas giving him a hard time that the Air Force guys got the cushy jobs, the good food, the good duties.
Tom eventually followed sister Pat to Colorado, working in the financial industry for various mortgage companies. He and Marianne met in 1978 when Marianne, working for TransAmerica Title came to Toms office at Security Pacific Mortgage Co., on 64th and Wadsworth in Arvada to close a transaction in which Tom was the originating loan officer.
They were married in Loveland, Colo., on Valentine’s day in 1979. Returning last year, 40 years later), to attach their Lock of Love to the Heart sculpture at the Welcome Center in Loveland. Joking with his father that he didn’t understand how hard it was to have boys, Tom and Marianne were blessed with three sons: Christopher, Troy and Cortny. Summers were filled with air shows and boy’s sporting events from Chris’s wrestling, Troy’s baseball and Cort’s Hockey events. Tom was in heaven with boys who also acquired their Dad’s natural athletic abilities.
The couple was working to obtain their sport pilot licenses in 1990 when Tom had a major heart attack resulting in a stint and regiment of lap swimming, strengthening his heart. A few years later Marianne had finished rebuilding a ‘66 Mustang similar to her high school car and Tom started looking for his similar high school car, a 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury. A good friend John Quinn was instrumental in helping Tom obtain his garage princess and now the family was going to car shows with their fun vehicles trying to attend shows that benefitted great causes, like Children’s Hospital Toy Run, Veterans Hospital events, Colorado War Memorial shows.
Tom spent 27 years as a drug and alcohol counselor, ending his career in 2013 as Supervisor of the PROUD Program for Arapahoe House. He was an understanding compassionate therapist caring not only for his client’s humanness but also their souls, handing out pocket rosaries to those coming through his program, trying to give back the gift of new life in sobriety, a grace given to him. He just celebrated 38 years of sobriety.
He loved his son’s immensely for the men they are and continue to become. Tom’s sisters and relatives inspired him til the end, making special time to travel, visiting with him within the month of his passing. He loved his Lord and for 41 years he and Marianne had a blessed life together.
Visitation is on Sunday, March 15, 2020 from 2-4 p.m. at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 7577 W. 80th Avenue, Arvada, Colorado 80003. Rosary is on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 5 p.m. at Shrine of St. Anne Catholic Parish, 7555 Grant Place, Arvada, Colorado 80002. Funeral Mass is Monday, March 16, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Shrine of St. Anne Catholic Parish, 7555 Grant Place, Arvada, Colorado 80002 with interment at Fort Logan National Cemetery to follow.
In Thomas’s honor, memorial donations may be made to The American Cancer Society in particular to research for pancreatic cancer.
