Thomas George Temple, 81, of Lebanon, Indiana died on Thursday, January 21, 2021 after suffering a stroke caused by complications of COVID-19. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 4, 1939 to Margaret Dobson Temple Shields and Thomas Walker Temple.
Tom was raised in Salt Lake where he was active in the First Congregational Church. He graduated from East High School in 1957 and the University of Utah in 1961.
On August 26, 1961 Tom married Ingrid Malm also of Salt Lake. They moved to Indianapolis where Tom graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Indiana University. He served in the Indiana National Guard.
In January 1964, Tom and Ingrid moved to Lebanon where he began work at the Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home first as a Case Worker and ultimately as the Residential Director. He retired from the Home in 1998 having touched the lives of many children, families, and employees.
In his 57 years in Lebanon, Tom was an active volunteer, participant in community life and generous friend. He was a member of Centenary and Otterbein United Methodist Churches, serving on many committees and boards. He enjoyed 50+ years as a member of Kiwanis and in the last several years was the Number One Pancake Flipper at the annual Pancake Supper. Mayor Garoffolo appointed Tom to serve as a member of the Lebanon Utility Board and the Storm Water Management Board.
More recently, Tom served on the board of Shalom House. He recently retired from the board, but continued to serve as co-treasurer. He also spent many happy years tutoring Kindergarten students at Hattie B. Stokes School.
Since he was young, Tom liked to build and repair things. He made Hi-Fi components from kits, built dollhouses and recently enjoyed complex LEGO projects. He could be found tending hybrid tea roses in the garden, or under the sink fixing a leak, or in the basement doing a repair.
Over the years he enjoyed line dancing and would tear up the dance floor at any wedding.
In their dating years, Tom and Ingrid enjoyed attending concerts. He especially liked Duke Ellington. They attended plays and musicals with their daughter Laura in Chicago. They enjoyed hiking and outdoor activities with their daughter Anne in Colorado. For many years they were season ticket holders to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Tom thoroughly enjoyed attending the Indianapolis Opera.
Tom loved his grandchildren and his many nieces, nephews, cousins and their kids and friends’ children. He would give a command performance of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” to the delight of kids gathered around a table gleefully drumming along. “Tommy T” was a favorite of children for his spirited and silly games and teasing. As they grew to adulthood, he became friends with and a mentor to many of them.
He treated his family to wonderful vacations often renting a house or condo so everyone could gather to enjoy a holiday or vacation together. Tom and Ingrid also enjoyed traveling with their siblings. They traveled in Europe and have been to all 50 states.
He is survived and dearly missed by his wife of 59 years, Ingrid; his daughters Laura Temple (Andrew Wood) and Anne Temple; grandchildren Dr. Emily Temple-Wood (Matt Conness), Sophie Temple-Wood, Thomas Toslosky, and Eleanor Toslosky; his siblings Joan Wilson (George), Judy Scott (Doug Danz), and Art Temple (Nancy).
In an effort to avoid inflicting the ravages of Covid on anyone else, no in-person memorial service will be held until one can be held safely.
In lieu of flowers, Tom’s family would be honored for donations to the Shalom House in Lebanon (www.TheShalomHouse.org/donate; The Shalom House, PO Box 135, Lebanon, IN 46052) or the Lebanon Education Foundation (www.LebanonLEF.org; Lebanon Education Foundation, c/o Hattie B. Stokes Elementary, 1005 Hendricks Dr., Lebanon, IN 46052).
