Thomas Joseph Tynan, 81, of Jacksonville, FL, passed away on April 4, 2016. Tom was born on March 18, 1935 to Thomas John and Marie Tynan. He spent his formative years in New Brunswick, NJ where he attended Sacred Heart Grammar School and St. Peter's High School. He proudly served his country in the US Army (1954-1956). After receiving his honorable discharge, he attended St. Philip Neri in Malden which assisted veterans of military service to prepare for entry into a seminary. However, he ultimately made a decision not to pursue a vocation to the priesthood.

On June 8, 1957, he married the love of his life, Sarah McCauley Tynan, who he had known throughout his childhood, as they grew up down the road from each other in New Brunswick. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Seton Hall University. While he later worked for other truck manufacturers and other businesses, he spent many enjoyable years selling Mack Trucks in New Jersey, New York and for a short time in Bermuda. Tom and Sarah raised a family of five and moved the family to South Florida in 1974 for warmer weather and less taxes. After the children moved out, Tom and Sarah spent many happy years in Naples, FL, and later in Jacksonville, FL.

Throughout his life, Tom strongly believed in civic service. As a young man, he was very active in the Jaycees in New Jersey and was active in local politics, first in East Brunswick, New Jersey and later in Hialeah, Florida. While he did not aspire for accolades or titles, he helped many individuals who sought a role in public life. He was a founding member of and first president of the Lincoln GOP, a Republican Club located in Hialeah, Florida and was deeply honored to receive the 1976 Walter Van Poyck Memorial Award from the Dade County Republican Party for his public service. Tom was further honored to be selected as a Ronald Reagan delegate to the 1980 Republican Convention.

Tom was proud of his Irish heritage and his Catholic faith and was even prouder to pass his heritage and his faith onto his children. His many hobbies included fishing, gardening, hybridizing hibiscus, playing bridge with his friends and later all variety of card games with his children and grandchildren. Tom had a wonderful sense of humor, and enjoyed a good practical joke. He also greatly appreciated the beauty and pleasure of water, living close to a lake, bay and ocean most of his adult-life.

Tom is predeceased by his beloved wife Sarah of 43 years and his brother Robert of Brockton, MA and is survived by one brother Edward of Boston, MA, five children: Kathleen Marie Tynan of Jupiter, FL, Kevin Tynan and his wife Daniela of Pembroke Pines, FL, Maureen Miksztal and her husband Robert of Bridgewater, NJ, Lynn Alson and her husband William of Jacksonville, FL and Thomas Howard Tynan of Jacksonville, FL and six grandchildren: Sean and Shannon Tynan, Ryan and Dylan Alson, Erin and Matthew Miksztal. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

A requiem mass will be celebrated on April 30, 2016 at 11 AM at St. Joseph Church 124 East Second Street, Bound Brook, NJ. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Chimney Rock Road, Bridgewater NJ. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Macular Degeneration Association (http://macularhope.org/, https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/macularhope) or the Florida Center for the Blind (http://www.flblind.org/index.html).