Thomas Lloyd Dolinger

Thom was a devoted husband to Blair Dolinger for over 22 years. A beloved father and bonus father to six children: Brent Dolinger (Lisa Dolinger), Ryan Merrell (Tabatha Merrell) , Kyle Merrell (May Nguyen), Ryan Dolinger, Kelsey Patterson (Dolinger) (Sean Patterson), and Chaz Bowman. He cherished his role as Grandpa to 5 grandchildren: Luke, Penelope, Bennett, Gabriel, and Brayden. Thom is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, his sister, Patricia Callahan, his mother-in-law, Jean McNamara, and a large extended family whom he loved deeply. We will all miss him dearly.

Thom is reunited in heaven with his father, Lloyd Wiley Dolinger, his mother, Annie Pauline Love Dolinger, his brother-in-law, James Callahan, his father-in-law, Martin McNamara, and many other family members who left us all too soon.

Thom graduated from Mars Hill College with a Bachelor’s of Science degree, then went on to earn his Master’s degree from VCU. Thom lived a life of military and civil service. He was honorably discharged from the Navy after a short term, then proudly served as a police officer with the Arlington County Police Department for 29 years. He retired shortly after serving as a 9/11 First Responder at the Pentagon. He retired from Fairfax Country after 17 years of service as a bus driver and supervisor, winning the hearts of all his students and their families.

In retirement, Thom embraced family gatherings, nothing made him happier than his home being filled with love and laughter. He enjoyed walking, napping and snuggling with the dogs, BBQs, tinkering in the yard, reading the Bible, watching sports, and engaging in exercise classes. He was a devout Catholic where he was a part of the Men’s Ministry, ChristLife, and Bible studies. May we feel comfort knowing that Thom is dwelling in the house of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on November 20, 2024, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, (18825 Fuller Heights Road, Triangle, VA 22172) with a reception following at the National Museum of Marine Corps (1775 Semper Fidelis Way, Triangle, VA 22172)

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Tunnel to Tower Foundation (https://t2t.org), Wounded Warriors (https://support.woundedwarriorsproject.org) or any charity of your choice that helps disabled veterans. Thom will be interred at the National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico at a later date.

Thom’s legacy of love and service will forever be remembered in the hearts of those he touched.