Today and hereafter we honor the life of Thomas Joseph Mormilo Jr., 60, of Pompton Plains, NJ, who passed away on December 14, 2024.   A man built of fortitude and grit, Tom loved us fiercely and inspired us with his unmatched strength.  Tom faced countless health challenges over the last decade yet his resilience knew no bounds--his will to live carried him through endless medical emergencies and helped us navigate the darkest of times. 

Tom was an avid hunter and fisherman and charismatic salesman with deep knowledge of the car industry after a 30+ year career leading service departments for various dealerships.  He was also immensely creative across various mediums, including drawing, painting, and woodworking.  He channeled this creativity into his second career in education, working several years at Lakeview Learning Center, a therapeutic private day school dedicated to helping developmentally disabled and justice-affected youth attain their potential.  Tom's mentorship and support of students in need was a highlight of his personal and professional life.  

Over the last few years, Tom and his oldest daughter Nicole spent countless hours with his team at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK).  Under Dr. Ritesh Kotecha's guidance, and the immense kindness and support of Research Nurse Cindy Puzio, Tom was one of the first patients to receive a phase 1 cancer trial that succeeded in making undetectable his inoperable metastatic renal cell carcinoma.  Treatments were difficult and the side effects were overwhelming at times, but Tom felt truly loved and supported by his MSK team.  Nicole will never forget the day Dr. Kotecha told Tom he was the most resilient man in the world--his ability to bounce back from extreme health issues continued to astound the team.  Tom's eyes filled with tears and he told the team he needed to "keep them on their toes"!    

Tom knew the treatment and side effects would be difficult but even when they were so much tougher than expected he was committed to helping MSK improve treatments for others.  In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you donate to MSK in his name.  We know that he would be immensely honored by you support and we are ecstatic to share that 100% of your donation will go directly to Dr. Kotecha and his team to support kidney cancer research and treatment.    

Tom's parents, Tom Sr. and Elizabeth, and children, Nicole, Jennifer, and Daniel, hope that you'll keep Tom's memory alive by sharing stories about him and connecting with them all.  They'll hold a celebration of life to honor him at the family home on Saturday, April 20, 2024.  More information on the celebration will be available in the coming months. 

With Gratitude,

Nicole, Jennifer, Daniel, Tom Sr., and Elizabeth Mormilo