Date of death: 7/30/2013
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1954
Tom breathed his last day on earth and took his first breath in heaven on July 30, 2013Born in Covington, Kentucky to Robert and Florence Huesman Stratman, Tom is survived by his brother, The Rev. Raymond R. Stratman, his wife of 21 years, Linda; his former wife Bethany and their children Patricia (Edmund Chojnicki), Raymond, Mary Ann, Thomas (Kimberly), Paul (Elizabeth), Richard (Leslie), and Robert; 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.Tom was educated at Saint Meinrad Archabbey and received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 1950. Tom devoted much of his life to work within the church and served as an ordained deacon at St. Columban Catholic Church, Loveland, Ohio and Good Shepherd Catholic Community, Montgomery, Ohio. In his two years in the United States Army, he was a chaplain’s assistant at Walter Reed Army Hospital, Washington, D.C.At the age of 74, Tom was ordained a Lutheran pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in the Southeastern Synod in Atlanta, Georgia. Tom served as pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Hartwell, Georgia.Tom was a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds beginning when his Aunt Bobie took him to old Crosley Field on Tuesday afternoon Ladies’ Days. He also loved horseracing and especially enjoyed sitting near the finish line in the upper deck with his children at River Downs. Tom was also a great card player, and he and Linda played cards every day.Tom leaves this world knowing he served the Lord through the church.* * *IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR RISEN LORD AND SAVIOR, we welcome all who have come to celebrate Tom’s life. May God comfort you and fill your hearts with a blessing of peace that belongs to those who believe in the resurrection and the life of the world to come.A RECEPTION WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL immediately following the service. Inurnment will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Montgomery, Ohio at a later date.IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, donations in Tom’s memory may be made to the Seminary Scholarship Fund at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 5575 Peachtree Parkway, Norcross, GA 30092 or to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014 or www.hov.orgFrom Tom’s funeral card sent to us from his wife.