A funeral mass took place March 25 at St. Joseph’s Church for Thomas F. Lyons, 81, of Jersey City and Brick Township. He passed away at Hoboken University Medical Center on March 21. A lifelong resident of Jersey City, Tom spent much of his time in Brick after his retirement. He was a Korean Conflict era Army veteran and in his younger years, coached basketball at St. Aloysius, St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Schools. As Democratic Ward Leader of the South 11th Ward Democratic Club under Mayor Charles Witkowski, Tom started his career with Jersey City as an aide to the mayor and later became administrative clerk in the Jersey City Police Department, where he worked for 38 years before retiring in 1995. As the former president of the Jersey City Supervisor’s Union and chairman of the Jersey City Employee Retirement Fund, Tom always fought for fairness and to protect the rights of his union membership while safeguarding the pensions of retirees and their spouses. Tom was also a lifelong and faithful parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church.
Tom was predeceased by his wife Rose Lyons as well as his parents Dorothy and Charles Lyons and his brothers Charles and Harold Lyons. He is survived by his son Kevin T. Lyons, his daughter Doreen and her husband Kevin Huvane; his grandchildren, Austin and Molly Rose Huvane and his brothers, Donald and Robert Lyons. Services arranged by the McLaughlin Funeral Home, Jersey City.