Thomas Emil Altenbern passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on January 10th, 2019, in Sugar Land, Texas. Tom was born on July 9th, 1935 in Freeport, Illinois to William and Margaret Altenbern, and was the youngest of three sons. He is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Stanley and Bill, nephew Peter, eldest son David, and granddaughter Christi Simpson. He is survived by Clara Jo Altenbern, his loving wife of 63 wonderful years; his daughter, Deborah Nelson, and her husband Dave; his son Douglas and his wife Kelly Jo; his grandchildren Carolyn Blanton, Heather Stinger, Stephanie Altenbern, Jeffrey Altenbern, Tiffanie Altenbern; and eleven great-grandchildren. Tom was a well-known family man who was proud to love and support his children and grandchildren.
Tom earned a degree in chemical engineering from The University of Michigan, where he met and married Jo. Tom did not want to be just an engineer dealing with technology, but rather wanted to use his technical knowledge to help others. Most of his career was spent with the Dow Chemical Company, which required several relocations of his family around the country where they created life-long friendships, ultimately settling in the Houston area.
When he retired in 1992, Tom looked for ways to use the gifts that had served him well professionally to serve others. In addition to caring for his father, Tom tutored children and was actively involved in civic activities in and around Missouri City, serving on the Fort Bend County Grand Jury, and involvement in Quail Valley Proud and Quail Valley’s crime watch program. In his free time, Tom enjoyed golf, travel, and “cheap eats” nights with friends.
Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 12 p.m., on Thursday, January 17th, 2019, at The Settegast-Kopf Co. @ Sugar Creek, 15015 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, Interment will follow at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Tom’s memory to the American Heart Association or to the Fort Bend Women’s Center.
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