Thomas L Honigford

Thomas Lewis Honigford, 61, of Delphos, passed away Thursday, February 26, 2026, at Mercy Health - St. Rita’s.

He was born July 5, 1964 to Urban “Bud” and Dorothy (Koch) Honigford, who preceded him in death. On May 22, 1993, he was married to Kim Smith, who survives him in Delphos.

Tom is also survived by his children, Katherine, of Lima, and Jared, of Delphos; brothers Michael (Denise) Honigford, and Charles (Jack) Honigford, both of Delphos; sisters Carol Fissel of Wapakoneta, and Susan (Ralph) Luersman of Ottoville; several nieces and nephews, as well as grand nieces and nephews; and special friends Charles Ashby and Ruth Ann Wittler, both of Delphos and Marilyn Smith of Defiance.

He is also preceded in death by brothers James Albert and Edward Albert; his nephew Jay Stephens; in-laws, Byron and Kate Smith; his brother-in-law Bob Fissel; and special friend Marg Ashby.

Tom, known by “Bear” to his friends, was a Blue Jay through and through. He graduated from Delphos St. John’s in 1982 and continued to support the parish and school throughout his life. He worked in the press box at football games for 42 years and worked at the scores table at girls basketball games - he loved pushing that buzzer. He also was a longtime greeter at 9:15 Mass on Sundays.

Tom graduated from Northwestern Business College - Tech Center and worked for JLL servicing Meijer stores. There were very few things that he could not fix, a trait that he learned from his father. Bear was a member of the Delphos Jaycees and held many offices in the local chapter and Ohio JCI Senate, and it was through the Jaycees that he met his wife Kim.

Tom was also a major sports fan, especially for Ohio State football, Blue Jay athletics, and NHRA drag racing. He also enjoyed tuning in for Reds baseball, Blue Jackets hockey, and Australian rules football. He bowled on the Monday night league at Delphos Recreation Center.

Bear was fond of camping, being able to spend time with his family, drink beer by the fire, and complete crosswords until it was too dark to see the words on the page. He was always watching cooking shows and looking for new recipes that he could make on the fire, the grill, or old “Smokey” the smoker. Tom was a fan of music, especially classic rock, and would sing along to the music - even the parts without words. He would often call himself the “font of useless knowledge” when it came to playing trivia or just knowing a fast fact.

Most of all, Bear’s main love was his family. He was always quick with a joke or a tease, and always made sure to be there for sporting events, musicals, recitals, and anything else his family was involved in. He was always willing to lend a hand to those who needed it and was an absolute pleasure to be around.

A Funeral Mass will begin at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 2, 2026 at Weber Funeral Home, 1840 E. Fifth St., Delphos. Memorial contributions may be made to Delphos St. John’s Athletic Boosters.