Thomas Joseph Liggett

Thomas "Tom" Joseph Liggett passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at home late on the evening of Friday, May 29, 2026. Tom was everything to his family and was truly someone who was "bigger than the Montana sky". Tom was a steady and gentle presence who could brighten any room and could talk to anyone about any topic. Tom was a lifelong member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Akron, Ohio and a proud graduate of St. Paul School in Akron, Archbishop Hoban High School, and The University of Akron, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. Tom loved UA and was always a proud Zip, and member of the "Ohio's Pride" Marching Band.

Tom was a jack of all trades and did everything extremely well and with pride. Tom was a talented and seasoned musician and played a variety of instruments such as piano, electric guitar, bass, and drums. He also sang and performed in many bands throughout his life, his most recent being a Heart tribute band. Tom was a "musical genius" and his favorite bands included ELO, Rush, AC/DC, The Black Keys, and other classic rock. In 2024, Tom and his daughter Erin were lucky enough to see ELO during their "Over and Out" tour. Tom and Erin had plans to see Rush in September 2026, and Erin plans to still honor this plan as she knows her dad will be there in spirit. Tom was an athlete in his younger years, playing everything from baseball to wrestling. And was a loyal Cleveland sports fan and cheered for the Browns, Cavaliers, and Indians (now Guardians). Yes, he cheered on Cleveland sports even when it was hard.

Tom's charsima and high intelligence allowed him to work in any career that he set his mind to. Early on, Tom worked at a local news station as a sport broadcaster and even helped report scores at Akron Aeros (now RubberDucks) games. Tom also worked at The University of Akron in the Department of Athletics and the Alumni Office, where he met many close friends. After UA, Tom worked in a variety of industries between digital marketing, real estate, retail and hospital pharmacy, and in his most recent role, he was a Senior Project Consultant at Omnicell, where he combined the experience and knowledge spanning his career to support clients with solutions to maximize the distribution process of medications in hospital systems. He was so proud to be a part of the newly formed Enterprise Team, at Omnicell. Tom was loved at all his jobs and was always the MVP of the team. Recently, his boss shared that he was the life of every meeting and had a special way of balancing important work with strong relationships.

Tom was undoubtedly the most selfless, resilient, faithful, and adaptable person you would ever meet and was always "family first". Tom suffered from end-stage renal failure in 2003 and was on dialysis for 3-4 days each week for nearly 12 years until his kidney transplant and had a variety of related health issues. Despite these challenges, he never let them slow him down from living a full life and supporting his family. During these years, Tom maximized family time with day trips to a variety of zoos, museums, and family amusement parks, like Idlewild and Kennywood, which were where some of the most precious Liggett-family memories were made. Tom continued to work a variety of jobs to support his family throughout his time on dialysis.

On a snowy day in February 2015, Tom and his family received a miracle phone call: a kidney that was nearly a perfect match was waiting for him at the Cleveland Clinic. Tom accepted it, and the transplant transformed his life. Tom and his family are forever grateful to the donor and to Lifebanc for a gift that transformed his and his family's lives.

Tom was the definition of a family man and was truly the best husband and father you would ever meet. He never stopped sharing stories about his family and took great pride in their accomplishments. Tom was always one of the most involved parents, and him and his wife, Susan, always instilled confidence, resilience, humor, integrity, and faith in their children, Erin and Anna. Tom's talents and gifts are clearly evident in both of his daughters, and he was always their number one supporter, no matter what life threw at him. The life roles of "husband" and "father" were arguably his top life roles. His family hopes that Tom knows that the roles of "wife" for Susan and "daughter" for Erin and Anna are their top life roles, too. Tom, Susan, Erin, and Anna were a tight family unit and in their adult lives, truly all best friends, enjoying countless laughs, family dinners, and "Mystery Science Theater" inspired commentary while watching what were truly the worst-of-the-worst shark and Zombie movies. Recently, Tom and Susan both were also overjoyed to welcome two incredible sons-in-law into their lives, never missing a chance to express how proud they were to have two sons in addition to their two daughters.

Tom was also an animal lover and had a special bond with any animal he ever met. Between dogs, cats, fish, hermit crabs, and even the backyard deer (which he hand-fed, if you can believe it), animals always flocked to him. If you were close to Tom or were an animal who could sense it, you knew he was a gentle soul who was filled with love.

Tom is survived by his loving wife Susan (Gabelman), daughters Erin (Andrew Dodson) and Anna (Christian Wierzbicki); his brother Robert "Bob" Liggett; countless sibling-in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins, and his pets Oaken, Harvey, and a goldfish, lovingly called "Oh You Fwishy You Fwishy". Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Helen Liggett; his parents-in-law, Donald and MaryAnn Gabelman; many extended family members; and his beloved pets Mr. Kitten, Princess, Pumpkin, Belle, Speedy, Puffy, Markey, Dewey, Tosh, Shapoopie, Ivy, and Salem.

Due to Tom's sudden and unexpected passing, the family chose a private viewing with direct cremation following, believing that this is what Tom would have wanted - for their close family to all be together for one last time. A Catholic Mass and burial will be planned for a future date. Please no flowers or plants accepted at this time due to pets.

Tom's life touched so many, and his family would be grateful for any way you choose to remember him. If you have a story, memory, or photos of Tom you'd like to share, they would love to receive them at rememberingtomliggett@gmail.com.

The family also asks that you honor Tom in the way that would mean the most to him; A stranger's decision to become a donor gave Tom and his family more than an additional decade together, and that same gift can give another family the time it gave ours. Please consider registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor through the Ohio Donor Registry and consider a gift in Tom's memory to Lifebanc, the organization that made his transplant possible (lifebanc.org/support-us).

Over and out, Daddy. We love you.