Thomas Allen Senderling was born on March 15, 1959, in Greenville, Mississippi to Kathryn Jane (Grassl) and Harry Walter Senderling, Jr. He was the fourth born of 8 children in a family that moved around the United States and abroad during Harry's military tours.
Tom's early years were marked by a love of sports and outdoors. He participated in Boy Scouts of America and even spent time scouting for the Germans while living overseas. An avid fisherman and minnow seiner, Tom could land a fish anytime, anywhere...from a perch in his pond to a shark in the Gulf of Mexico. He also played soccer, taking those skills all the way to the Olympics where he medaled several times.
A cinephile and music lover, Tom's collection of movies was extensive. In fact, it was his love of movies that led him to his interest in the gigantism of primates and reptiles, a deep knowledge of WWII history, and as a card-carrying member of the Rebel Alliance, made him a true pew-pew weapons expert. His love of musicals like Grease kept Olivia Newton John on repeat, along with Michael Jackson, the Bee Gees, and NSYNC.
Tom was a lover of all dogs chili and cheese. A foodie at heart, so long as the food presented was never green or of a vegetable variety, he surely knew more about butter than Julia Childs herself. Like the Cookie Monster he was, Tom could covertly uncover any snack in the house regardless of how expertly hidden it may have been. Even on the morning of his passing, he was asking for Dr. Pepper. Classic Tom.
He was a bowler. An environmentalist. A collector. A statistician. A historian. A sports fan. A LEGO master. A train enthusiast. A Bigfoot hunter. He swam with whales and loved his pets. He had a mind like a steel trap. He was never late for anything. Always ready to go (and ready to leave for that matter). And he went through so much toothpaste and mouthwash that both Crest and Listerine stock is likely to dip now that he's gone.
In his later years, Tom served as a reluctant candy striper in caring for his dad and steadfastly supported both him and his mother throughout their lives. He was a tremendous brother and uncle. Thomas Allen Senderling passed away on Sunday, May 11, 2025. He will be laid to rest at the DFW National Cemetery on June 13, 2025 at 10:15 AM. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to FRAXA Research Foundation or to the American Cancer Society.