Obituary of Thomas J. Hempstead

Thomas J. Hempstead died suddenly while jogging, August 2, 2008. Thomas, a resident of Maplewood, NJ was the loving father of Augustus, 4, and Isaac, 2 and husband of Ilizabeth (nee Gonchar). He is also survived by his parents Irene and John Hempstead of Haddonfield, NJ, a sister, Katherine Hempstead and her husband Andrew Haughwout of Princeton, NJ and a brother, Michael Hempstead and his wife Maria Succi of Northampton, MA and by his many nieces and nephews. Ilizabeth is the daughter of Lynn and Leonard Gonchar of Kingston, PA. At the time of his death, Thomas was a student in the Graduate Architecture program, New Jersey School of Architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology. He was a graduate of Cherry Hill High School East and LaSalle University and earned a certificate in fine arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Prior to entering the architectural program, he was a DVD Producer at ABC News. Thomas was an avid fisherman, boatbuilder, and gourmet cook. His charm and love of life will be deeply missed by his many friends and family. Friends may call on Wednesday, August 6 from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at The Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home, 2122 Millburn Ave., Maplewood. A funeral service will be held at 11 AM Thursday, August 7 at St. George's Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Rd., Maplewood, NJ. Interment will follow at Valleau Cemetery, Ridgewood, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to Rocking the Boat, Inc., 60 E 174th St., Bronx, NY 10452, a non-profit organization which teaches boatbuilding and environmental science to inner-city youth. For more information or to send condolences please visit jacobhollefuneralhome.com