03/31/2026
Thomas Anthony Tokarz
Thomas Anthony Tokarz died peacefully on March 27, 2026, with his wife of 71 years, Elsie (Baker) Tokarz at his side, as always.
Tom was the son of Polish immigrants, Joseph Thomas Tokarz and Julia (Ryczak) Tokarz, who settled in Port Richmond, Virginia where they made their home after many travels. Early in the 20th century, when Port Richmond was first becoming a town, Tom’s parents became civic leaders by opening the general store which was also the post office (Joseph was the postmaster) and the area’s first gas station. They had nine sons, Leo and Stanislaw (both of whom died in childhood) followed by John, Clemence, Edmund, Raymond, Jospeh, Peter, and Thomas.
Tom was the youngest of the seven surviving Tokarz brothers, all of whom went to Virginia Tech, a fraternal record unmatched by any other Hokie-loving family. Tom graduated in 1952, with a degree in Business Administration.
His brothers were all in the military during World War II, but Tom had to wait for the Korean War to serve his country. He joined the Air Force and was stationed in Okinawa. When he finished his service, he returned home by way of Hong Kong, where he purchased many household items in anticipation of setting up a new home with his fiancée, Elsie Baker. On August 8, 1954 they married in Wakefield, VA and had their wedding reception in Surry, at the farm where Elsie grew up.
They bought their first house in Richmond, on Erma Lane. Tom worked initially as a salesman for a pharmaceutical firm. Later on he stepped boldly into the restaurant business for ten years when he owned the Aberdeen Barn steakhouse in Richmond. His restaurant was famous for its fine steaks and the dancing on Saturday nights.
Tom and Elsie had three children: Robert, partnered with Patricia Mete, living in Troy, VA; Anne, married to Chuck Wolff, living in Midlothian; and Jeannette (Jan), married to Rick Zamore, living in Guilford, Vermont. Additional survivors are grandsons Chad Wolff, Jeff and Matt Pruyne, and his great-granddaughter, Calliope Pruyne Barney.
After he closed his restaurant, Tom spent 40 years pursuing various business ventures. He found success and a calling as a landlord helping vulnerable members of society obtain stable and affordable housing. In his spare time he turned his considerable energy and management skills to helping St. John Neumann Church thrive and expand its outreach. He was especially proud of the church’s sponsored daycare facility in Ecuador.
A lifelong history buff and collector, Tom founded the World War Two Roundtable in Central Virginia and was active in a Civil War Roundtable. He loved nature and gardening, and he enjoyed watching the birds and receiving occasional visits from raccoons in the expansive wooded yard around the house he shared with Elsie in Midlothian, VA. He was a fierce fan of Virginia Tech football and loved watching the team’s games. He also loved a succession of black labs, especially Skip, who shared his love of vanilla ice cream cones at the drive through.
The family is profoundly grateful to the caregivers who assisted him in his final years, especially Charity Swan, and the staff at The Crossroads Bon Air, and ACG Hospice.
Donations in memory of Tom Tokarz can be made to the St. John Neumann Parish’s Human Concerns, or Habitat for Humanity Powhatan.
A funeral mass will be held on April 24, 11 am, St John’s Neumann Catholic Church, 2480 Batterson Road, Powhatan, VA, with a reception to follow immediately after the mass.
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