WESTERLO — A. Thomas “Tom” Keppler, a Vietnam veteran who liked camping with his grandson, died at his home on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. He was 79.

He was born in Albany on Feb. 24, 1945, a son of the late Fred and Mary Gesko Keppler. A lifelong resident of Westerlo, he was a graduate of Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School. 

“Tom was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, serving during Vietnam,” his family wrote in a tribute. “He worked for many years as a foreman for Callanan Industries in South Bethlehem.

“He was a member of the National Rifle Association and Union Local 190. Tom enjoyed hunting, fishing, working around his property, cutting wood and mowing the grass, hiking, and camping with his grandson.”

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A. Thomas “Tom” Keppler, is survived by his wife, Madeline Billek Keppler; son, Kevin Keppler (Marci); daughter, Kathleen Keppler Bunze (Garry); grandchildren, Aiden and Lucas Keppler; brother, John Keppler; sisters, Louise Conway, and Dorothy Leicht (William); and many nieces and nephews.

His brothers, Paul Sr., Edmund, and Freddie Keppler, died before him.

Calling hours will be Tuesday, May 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. at A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home at 4898 State Route 81, Greenville, followed by a memorial service at 6 p.m. His ashes will be buried privately, at a later date, in the family cemetery. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia Society, or the American Heart Association.