Thomas F. Breslin

• Post by: mcalibrary
• January 11, 2024
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INDUCTEE

Thomas Breslin has been a lifelong resident of Mount Carmel. He was born in 1932 and is a 1950 graduate of Mount Carmel High School. Tom was a two-year letterman for Coach Mike Terry’s football eleven as an offensive guard and a two time letterman for the Tornado basketball team. He was very active in school activities and participated in intramural volleyball. He was also elected Class Secretary in his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Tom’s connection to his class continued through the years as he served on the committees for the Class of 50’s many reunions, most recently the 55th, held at the Mount Carmel Elks in October of 2005.

Following graduation, Breslin would enlist in the U.S. Navy. Boot camp led him to Great Lakes, Illinois where he was stationed aboard the USS Goodrich. He was stationed in the Mediterranean theater during that 40 month hitch as a Gunners Mate 3rd Class. He was honorably discharged in 1953 and returned to his beloved hometown.

From 1962 thru 1982, Tom coached the V.F.W. Junior League baseball team and was recognized for his many years of service before handing over the reigns to Henry Fedrowicz. He was always known for his sportsmanship and always taught his boys that having fun while doing your best was far more important than winning. That’s not to say the his teams didn’t always play hard and did their best to win, but came up short of the ultimate goal of a championship. His dedication to the Junior League included his serving as League Secretary/Treasurer from 1971 thru 1984. He included field maintenance, handling of monetary collections, submitting articles to the News-Item as some of the tasks he took on with pleasure. It was during those years that he, along with Tony Scicchitano, Mike Rudock, Ray Moncavage and Bob Kulish, was able to lead the drive to install lights in the town’s only baseball field so that night baseball could be played and thus eliminate the need for another field.

Because of his military service, Tom is a lifelong member of both the V.F.W. and American Legion. He is still an active member of the V.F.W. and has served as Chairman of the board. Tom had a 42 year career as a Production Supervisor at Arcos in Strong, where he became an invaluable and well respected employee of the company until his retirement in 1998. Tom has three children: Thomas Breslin, Coleen Klaus, and Sharon D’Rienzo, three granddaughters and one great grandson.