Thomas J. Rauch

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Thomas Joseph Rauch, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, who passed away on April 9, 2025, at the age of 80. He was born on October 11, 1944, in Dayton, Ohio and he lived here his entire life.

Tom attended St. Anthony School and graduated from Chaminade High School. In his early twenties he served in the U.S. Air Force. Tom worked at NCR for over 30 years and spent about seven years at the Hobart Corporation. For the majority of the last two decades, Tom volunteered and then worked at We Care Arts where he was the woodshop manager.

Tom was a loving husband to his wife of 55 years, Marilyn (Voskuhl). Their commitment to each other was unwavering. They laughed easily and often with one another. They built a home together on Emmons Avenue with their daughters Julie and Tracey who were blessed with a father who taught them the value of hard work. He was a constant source of love and support, from helping them with their Sunday morning paper routes, to painting walls when they moved, to babysitting their children when they became mothers.

Tom looked forward to becoming a grandfather and cherished the time he spent with his grandchildren, Elise, Claire, Brett, and Kate. A picture of the four of them from a family trip to Florida was the wallpaper on his phone.

Tom also loved and enjoyed spending time with his son-in-law Ben, who soaked up all of Tom’s knowledge on carpentry, lawn care, and plumbing. Tom was a one-man YouTube channel.

Tom was a doer. He loved fishing and golfing, but his real talent was in woodworking. He learned the craft by watching his father. He loved to tinker in his woodshop, and he could build and fix just about anything. It would be hard to find a family member with a home untouched by Tom. He crafted and built bookshelves, flowerboxes, tables, desks, cutting boards, toy boxes, picture frames, memory boxes, decks, and lots of storage shelves. He was working at We Care Arts three days a week as recently as February. He loved his job there and the community, friends, and purpose that it gave him.

Tom will be remembered for his one-of-a-kind sense of humor, his gentle nature, and his resilience. He always rooted for the underdog. And he never, ever complained.

He belonged to a close-knit family and is survived by his siblings: Judy (Don), Bill (Nancy), Greg (Carrie), Denny (Kay), Connie (Tim), and Chris (Joanie). He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Esther (Fullenkamp) Rauch, who instilled in him the values of hard work, love, and devotion to family that shaped the man he became.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate his life. Tom’s family will receive visitors at Westbrock Funeral Home, located at 5980 Bigger Road, Kettering, OH, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Additional visitation will take place the following morning at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 4500 Ackerman Boulevard, Kettering, OH, starting at 9:30 AM until 10:30 AM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to We Care Arts (click on link below) in memory of Tom.