Thomas G. Fahner

Thomas G. Fahner, 58 passed away peacefully at his home at Kurn Hattin Homes in Westminster, VT on January 6, 2015, surrounded by his family, after a strong three-year battle with cancer. He was born in Queens, NY, on May 8, 1956 to Dorothy and Andrew Fahner.

Tom spent his childhood years playing in the Great South Bay in East Islip, NY, where he graduated high school and met many of his lifelong friends. He received his BA in physical education from SUNY Brockport in 1978, where he also met his wife. He then continued his education, receiving his Masters in School Administration from Springfield College in 1980.

Tom believed that every child deserved a childhood and began a long career of community service to children in Vermont. In 1980 he began his career at Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro. In 1990 he joined New England Kurn Hattin Homes for Children in Westminster, VT and served for 25 years as Principal and the Director of Residential and Educational Services. In 2009, he was named Middle School Principal of the year for the State of Vermont.

Tom loved his family dearly and he bettered the lives of everyone around him. Outside of work, Tom was an avid hiker, skier, tennis player, and dedicated basketball coach. He remained active in the community as a Rotarian, a member and former president of the NFCCE for over twenty years, and served as a member of the Knights of Columbus. Tom was a trusted and beloved mentor to many. Throughout his life, he had an incredibly strong Catholic faith and enjoyed being a lector at Saint Charles Church in Bellows Falls, VT.

He was predeceased by his mother Dorothy.

He leaves his wife of thirty-four years, Donna (Niebuhr), three children, Kelly Fahner and her fiancé Brendan McArdle of Manhattan, NY, Kim O'Connor and her husband LT Timothy O'Connor of Annapolis, MD, and Christopher Fahner and his wife Lynsey (Nally) Fahner of Boston, MA; his father, Andrew Fahner, stepmother, Thea; two brothers, Robert and his wife Terry, and Steven and his wife Cindy, as well as nine nieces and nephews. Tom was especially proud he got to meet his new granddaughter, Maggie O'Connor born December 14.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday, January 9, 2015 from 4PM to 8PM at KER-WESTERLUND FUNERAL HOME, 57 High St. in Brattleboro, VT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at 11AM at Saint Charles Catholic Church, 31 Cherry St., Bellows Falls, VT. Burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to New England Kurn Hattin Homes, P.O. Box 127, Westminster, VT 05358.