Thomas Finch Morford Jr., 87, of Tinton Falls, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 20. Tom was born on December 5, 1928 in the farmhouse on Cherry Tree Farm in Middletown. He and his wife lived in Middletown since 1949, moving to Seabrook Village in Tinton Falls in 2001.
Tom graduated from The Peddie School in 1946. Tom was active in Boy Scouts, Pop Warner football and president of the Middletown High School Booster Club. Tom served as a trustee and deacon of the First Baptist Church of Middletown. He was also a charter member and director of the Red Bank Jaycees.
His career included managing Cherry Tree Farm, co-owner of a lawn and garden equipment business, and an agent for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. In later years, he was a school bus driver in Middletown, a supervisor for Middletown Township Parks and Recreation Department and member of the Resident Advisory Council at Seabrook Village.
Tom loved tending his garden and maintaining the historic farm house at Garryford Farm in Middletown, where he resided for more than 30 years. He loved to watch football and was a loyal fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. He was an active member of the Monmouth Model A Club and enjoyed working on his wife Ruthanne’s 1929 Model A Ford, affectionately known as Myrt.
Tom is survived by his loving wife, of 67 years, Ruthanne. He is also survived by his three sons and their wives, Robert and Gail of New Hope, Pennsylvania, Richard and Christy of Spring Lake and Bruce and Susan of Middletown. He also leaves nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Anita Kay Barto of Tinton Falls; his brother and wife, James Conover Morford and Roi-Ann of Williamsburg, Virginia; and several nieces and nephews.
Jersey Shore Cremation Service, Manasquan, was in charge of arrangements. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.
