Thomas Clarence Adelman

Thomas Clarence Adelman, Sr., a lifelong Norwalk resident known for his deep ties to the community, passed away on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Mill Manor Nursing Home in Vermilion.

Born on May 20, 1936, at Memorial Hospital in Norwalk to the late Clarence and Pearl (née Sitterly) Adelman, Tom graduated from Norwalk High School in 1954. That same year, he began working alongside his father in the family’s plumbing and heating business. His career was briefly interrupted when he answered the call to serve in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1961, stationed in Korea. Upon returning home, Tom resumed his place in the family business, eventually taking the helm in the early 1980s. The Adelman family proudly served the local area for three generations and over sixty years until his retirement in 2018.

Tom had many life-long interests. A devoted parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, he served on various parish committees and projects over several decades. For nearly twenty years, he was also a fixture on the local baseball diamonds, coaching youth teams from tee-ball all the way to teenage traveling leagues.

Beyond coaching, Tom was an avid and accomplished sportsman in his own right. He spent decades on the bowling lanes as a competitor, league secretary, and founder of several area leagues. Over the years, he also enjoyed softball, golf, and organized horseshoes, competing in numerous local leagues. Tom enjoyed quieter hobbies as well, including avid coin collecting and serving as an amateur horticulturalist, carefully breeding and crossing his own geraniums.

Tom leaves behind his loving wife of 61 years, Elizabeth “Betty” (née Bertsch) Adelman; his two sons, Thomas (Marta) Adelman, Jr. of Perkins, and Michael Adelman of Norwalk; his brother, David C. Adelman of Pittsburgh; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. He is now reunited in peace with his parents and his brother, James R. Adelman, who preceded him in death.

A funeral Mass to celebrate Tom’s life will be held at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church, 38 W. League St., Norwalk, on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 2 p.m. Following the Mass, he will be laid to rest with military honors at St. Paul’s Cemetery. The Adelman family warmly invites friends to share fond memories and condolences online at www.walkereastmanheydingerfh.com.