Thomas Wilmot Wassell

Thomas Wilmot Wassell, 95 of Wethersfield, husband of the late Norma (Speirs) Wassell passed away peacefully in his home on Friday, June 10, 2016. He was born on November 10, 1920 in Hartford. He was the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Turner) Wassell. Tom lived in Hartford and graduated from Weaver High School as a member of the Class of 1939. At the outset of World War II, Tom enlisted in the Army Air Corps, later named The U.S. Air Force. He volunteered and graduated from Officer’s Candidate School in Miami, Florida. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant and was in charge of flight and pilot operations and logistics in Great Falls, Montana. Tom married his high school sweetheart, Norma, in 1943. They both went to Great Falls, Montana until shortly before the end of the war. Tom entered the grocery business and worked for many years with Popular Supermarkets as manager of Bishops Corner, Wethersfield and Kensington. At the end of his career, he spent about five years as Manager of Grosso’s Supermarket in Rocky Hill, which was a reunion in working with the Grosso family he had worked with as a teenager before World War II. Upon retirement, Tom worked for Connecticut Bank and Trust, Rocky Hill, as a bank teller. He loved this job as it gave him the opportunity to see his old friends and customers he had served at Grosso’s Supermarket. As a Store Manager, Tom worked with and hired many teenagers from Hall, Conard, Wethersfield and Rocky Hill High Schools and he followed their careers well beyond their employment at the supermarkets. He took great pride in how his teenage employees lives and careers unfolded and felt he might have had a positive impact on their lives. Tom was absolutely dedicated to his wife Norma and they lived in their home together in Wethersfield since 1960. Tom and Norma spent 71 beautiful years together as husband and wife till her passing in January of 2015. He loved his two grandchildren immensely and loved to spend time on Cape Cod vacations with them each summer. There was not a Little League game, concert or any event in their lives that he did not attend. Tom was a huge baseball fan since his childhood and followed the Boston Red Sox religiously. He was a very religious person and was a lifelong member of Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford. At the age of 95 he was the longest active communicant of the Cathedral, having been baptized there in 1920. Thomas leaves his son, Tom and his wife Sharene, who he and Norma loved dearly, of Simsbury, his grandchildren, Tom Wassell of Seattle, Washington and Tyler Wassell and his wife Adrienne Wassell of Elmhurst, Illinois. Special and heartfelt thanks go to Narghiza Narzullaeva and her beautiful family who served as Tom and Norma’s 24 hour in home care. Narghiza cared for them lovingly and with compassion for two years and genuinely cared about their wellbeing. Additional thanks go to Brenna, Lil and Tiffany, who were part of an incredible hospice team that cared for Tom and made his final passing comfortable, dignified and with honor. We thank Dean Lina Howell, Reverend Jay Cooke and other members of Christ Church Cathedral that provided Pastoral Care and visits to Tom in the last three years and especially at the time of his hospice care.

Calling hours will be Friday, June 17 from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, Main Street (Corner of Church and Main St.) Hartford with Dean Lina Howell and The Reverend Jay Cooke officiating. The burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford with full military honors. Donations in Thomas’ memory can be made to Christ Church Cathedral, 45 Church St., Harford CT, 06103 with memo: to support “Children Music Program at Rawson” or Simsbury Little League, PO Box 233, Simsbury, CT 06070 memo: “Tommy Tanski Memorial Scholarships”. To share a memory of Thomas with his family, please visit www.desopo.com.