Thomas M. Etchberger

Thomas M. Etchberger, 77, of Muhlenberg Twp., passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his
side, on June 18, 2022. Son of the late Harry and Verna Etchberger, he is survived by his wife, Kathleen;
they celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on June 9th. He was a veteran of the US Army Reserves.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughter Jaime, wife of Michael Schrenk; grandchildren
Matthew and Luke; one brother Richard; and three sisters, Ruby Bauman, Linda Sallade, and Judy
Kurowski; and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by brothers John, Robert
(Hap), Carl, William (Bill), Luke, and Russell, and sisters Jean Herneisen, Peg Shearer, Carolyn Hammond,
Phyllis Kissling, and Anna Etchberger.

He was the baby of 16 children through which he learned to value the closeness of strong family ties, as
well as how to play serious pranks. He and his brothers enjoyed many fun times in the mountains of
Lycoming County, PA, eventually buying a hunting camp in Oregon Hill and starting the most cherished
Etchberger family tradition of annual deer camp. He maintained his close family ties throughout his life,
and in recent years, he could be found spending most afternoons with his siblings at the mall, the Ranch
House, Boehringer’s, or the pond. Tom began his lifelong love of golf at the age of 8 when he grew up on
The Manor golf course. From The Manor to Galen Hall to Golden Oaks, and many courses in between,
he treasured every friendship he made on the links and at the 19th hole. There aren’t many people who
don’t immediately think of golf when they hear the name Tom Etchberger, or “Etchie” as his friends are
fond of calling him.

He spent over 40 years running his business Salino’s Imports, at the Fairgrounds
Farmers Market. He felt so fortunate to have been given the opportunity by the Salino family and
frequently talked about how lucky and thankful he is to have found work he truly loved. Kathy, Jaime,
Mike, Matthew, and Luke were the apple of his eye. He was loved by them beyond measure and returned
that love ten-fold. He was a loving husband and a hands-on dad and pop-pop who cherished the time
spent together as family. He was a man of strong faith who prayed quietly in his favorite green chair
every morning, especially enjoying the book “Jesus Calling.” He was a member of Holy Guardian Angels
Parish and prior to the pandemic, he looked forward to Sunday mass followed by breakfast with family
every week. Since 2020, he continued to watch mass at home and was an active participant, singing and
praying along, much to the enjoyment of Kathy, who loved listening to him sing. No one loved life like
Tom did. His infectious smile lit up the room and he made people feel happy and loved. He was quick
with a joke, always a bit mischievous, and was affectionately known as “Etchie,” “Fair Tom,” and “Teflon
Tom.” He made everyone feel welcomed in his home and his life. He will be sorely missed by all who
have known him but he leaves a legacy of faith, love, joy, and hard work that will be carried on by his
family.

The family would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the staff from Promedica Hospice for providing Tom
with exceptional loving and compassionate care.

A viewing will be held from 5:00-8:00 pm on Wednesday, June 22nd at Stitzel Funeral Home, 3300
Kutztown Road, Reading, PA 19605.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, June 23rd at 10:00 a.m.  at
Holy Guardian Angels Church, 3121 Kutztown Road, Reading, PA 19605. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Fritztown Fire Company, 1060 Fritztown Road,
Reading, PA 19608; Holy Guardian Angels Church, 3121 Kutztown Road, Reading, PA 19605; or Berks
County Community Foundation Military Assistance Fund at
https://bccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1343.

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