Tom Caloia

September 29, 2013

Theta 1965 – 1966

Brother Tom Caloia pledged Sigma Beta Tau in 1965-66 with the Theta Pledge Class. According to his Pledgemaster Joe Grillo, Tom was a great pledge and a very active brother, but life’s dictates caused him to leave college after his Junior year.

Tom was dating a sister of Rho Theta Tau, Linda Sapienza, who would graduate from Kean in 1968. Tom & Linda would marry in 1969, have two sons, and be divorced in 1988.

It would be Linda who would contact the Sigma Beta Tau Alumni Association and ask that his life be remembered within our Memorial section, to which we immediately agreed. Once a Brother, always a Brother.

Linda writes that Tom remarried, and as you will read in the obit, his second wife died earlier this year.  His younger brother died in 2008.

Tom & Linda’s grandchildren, Emma (9) and Adam (6) attend Grace Lutheran School in Jacksonville.  Linda moved to Jacksonville in 2006, and just retired from 31 years of teaching.

Tom apparently wasn’t feeling well for awhile.  In July he was diagnosed with lung cancer, then bone cancer, and from Labor Day on it was just a matter of time.

May God bless him, his family and all who knew him.

Mr. Thomas V. Caloia, age 66 of Fernandina Beach, FL passed away on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at his residence. Mr. Caloia was born on December 21, 1946 in Newark, NJ the son of the late Thomas Anthony Caloia and Marcella Louise Provencher Caloia. He graduated high school in Iselin, NJ. Mr. Caloia entered the United States Air Force and was stationed in Pakistan for some time. He resided in Baltimore, MD and most recently in Palm Coast, FL before coming to Fernandina Beach in 2008. Mr. Caloia worked in Real Estate and Auto Sales being employed by Tom Bush Dealership in Jacksonville. He was preceded in death by his wife of 25 years Alma Ellis Caloia in February of this year. Mr. Caloia leaves behind his children, Jon Caloia (Barbara) of Jacksonville, FL, Michael Caloia of Chicago, IL, Bruce Coale of Longwood, FL, and Beth Hooper ( Ron) of Columbia, MD. His three grandchildren, Emma and Adam Caloia and Jen Shellenberger.V.