Thomas Lincoln Bloom Sr.

Thomas Lincoln Bloom Senior, 91, of Garner, NC, formerly of New Bern, NC, passed away peacefully on June 28, 2025 surrounded by his family.

Tom was born in 1934 in New York City where he lived until he joined the Air Force after graduating from high school. He proudly served 21 years in the Air Force as an air traffic controller and was stationed in Alaska, Mississippi, Georgia, Arizona, France, Germany, New York and Thailand. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked another 20 years as a civilian air traffic controller at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC.

A kind and outgoing man, Tom never met a stranger. He loved to laugh and often told stories of his childhood and adventures so much so that he'd usually start with "Stop me if I've told you this one". Tom was eternally optimistic and with his positive attitude, served as a great role model and mentor not only to his children but also to the many young servicemen he helped train at Cherry Point.

Tom was preceded in death by his wife Sofia Valverde Bloom, his brother Bob Bloom and sisters Dottie Kirkirt and Eileen Bianco. He is survived by his eight children: Ann (Bruce) Tuttle, Thomas (Josie) Bloom Jr., Christine (Mark) Hall, Christopher Bloom, Karen (George) Thiessen, Stephanie (Sergio) Bloom-Mendez, Lisa (Robert) Uthe, Gregory (Dulce) Bloom as well as 19 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, sisters Maureen Palen, Barbara Graves, sister-in-law Margarita Bloom and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for friends and family will be held on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at Bryan Lee Funeral home in Garner at 3:00pm. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul Catholic church in New Bern, NC at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that charitable donations go to an Alzheimer's fund of your choice.