Mr. Osterberger is preceded in death by his parents, George and Johanna Osterberger; stepfather Martin Due; brother George "Bud"; sisters, Jean and Evelyn.
Mr. Osterberger is survived by his loving wife, Janet "Jeanette" Osterberger of Bethlehem, GA; sons, Christopher (Dawn) Osterberger of Bethlehem, GA and Andrew (Aida) Osterberger of Dallas, GA; daughters, Sandra Vinney of Tomah, WI, and Vicky Lynn Farrand of Buford, GA; six grandchildren, Kyle and Keith Farrand, Logan and Madison Osterberger, Jonathan Walters, Raymond Schmidt, and one very loved granddog, Dexter Osterberger.
Tom was born on February 3, 1930, in Chicago, IL. He enjoyed spending time on the golf course, he was a master at chess, and his card playing skills could challenge anyone. At the age of 21, he joined the US Army and served in Korea as a tank commander until the end of the war. He was a natural-born salesman, who could sell anything, and whose personality always brought people back. He started his career as a manager for Woolworth in Chicago, IL. He then bought into a partnership of a Coast to Coast Hardware store in Tomah, WI, where he met and later married the love of his life, Janet. Their next adventure took them to Milwaukee, WI, where he became a merchandise manager for W.T. Grants. When W.T. Grants closed, Tom went to work with the craft corporation Ben Franklin as a District Manager. Shortly thereafter, Tom and Janet relocated their family to Florida, where he became the Area Manager for the Southeastern US. They remained there for the next 10 years.
His next venture was a partnership with Dan Lindsay, importing silk flowers as Flowers & Frames in Hattiesburg, MS. Over the next 12 years, they traveled the world and built one of the largest silk flower distribution companies in the United States. When they finally decided to sell Flowers & Frames, Tom accepted a job with the department store Dillard’s, doing what he did best… sales. He alone increased the sales in the Men’s suit department by at least five hundred percent. After a while, Tom decided he needed something more challenging and transitioned into the jewelry business. He started as a manager for Reeds, then switched to Friedman’s (where he elevated their least profitable store to the highest selling store in the entire company), and finally to Zales. Tom was in his element when he was surrounded by people, and everyone who met him loved him. In 2017, at the age of eighty-seven, he finally decided to retire. Tom and Janet were then able to travel the United States to see and explore many of the wonders this great country has to offer.
At the top of all his accomplishments, he was first and foremost the patriarch of his family. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and a person who was loved by everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him. He always felt that his greatest accomplishment was his family, who love him dearly and appreciate everything he has done for them. He instilled in his family the concept of unconditional love, an unwavering sense of honor, and the value of the family unit. His sense of humor could light up a room, and he could always put a smile on anyone's face. He existed to make people laugh, he never met a stranger, and he had a zest for life that was contagious. HE WAS A REMARKABLE MAN! The world got a little dimmer on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 11:18 pm, but heaven got a lot brighter. Tom was one of a kind, a unique soul. He will be missed greatly!
The family respectfully request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in memory of Mr. Thomas Osterberger to the St. Jude children's Research Hospital.
A private graveside service will be held in Barrow Memorial Gardens in Winder, GA.
Smith Funeral Home, Winder, GA is entrusted with the arrangements.
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