Obituary of Thomas Steven Tulenko

Thomas Steven Tulenko, 91, of Ashburn, Virginia, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, February 27, 2018.
    Born March 31, 1926, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Joseph and Julia Tulenko, and younger brother of the late Joseph Tulenko.  He moved from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, in 1933, where he attended High School and was an active member of the Boys Club.  In high school his love of sports and natural talents in football and basketball led him to be chosen as the captain of both teams.  Tom was unexpectedly drafted into the Army in the fall of his senior year.  Following his discharge from the Army, he earned his G.E.D. and was accepted into Duke University where he earned his Business Administration Degree.   Upon graduation, Tom went to Washington, DC and began his career with Woodward & Lothrop.  Lucky for him, in the summer of 1952, he met Cathy Gebhard, and they were married in September of 1954 and have resided in Virginia.   They had four children:  Jan, Linda, Tommy and Ken.  At Woodward & Lothrop, Tom was a buyer and merchandise manager in Washington, DC; Virginia; and Maryland stores.  Tom also enjoyed and was quite talented at painting, woodworking, landscaping, and wood carving.  He was passionate in making sure his children had the opportunity to be exposed to as many sporting activities as possible including golf, snow skiing, water skiing, and tennis.  The heartbreak in his life was the loss of his son, Tommy at 24 years of age as the result of a malfunction in a helicopter engine while Tommy was serving in the Marine Corp.  After retiring from Woodward & Lothrop, Tom followed his passion for golf and joined the work crew at the Springfield Golf and Country Club.  In 2006, he moved to Ashburn and volunteered at the Algonkian Golf Club continuing to pursue his love of golf.   Tom will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Cathy, daughter Jan Smith of Woodbridge VA, daughter Linda Chauner of Whitefish MT and son Ken Tulenko of Lake Louisa VA.  He will also be fondly missed by his grandchildren Erik Smith, Brian Smith, Bailey Chauner and Ryan Chauner, as well as his great granddaughter, Brianna Smith.