Obituary of Thomas Richard Elsasser

Thomas Elsasser, age 75, passed away peacefully on May 7, 2023. Tom was born on August 14, 1947, in Chicago Illinois, to Cornelius and Ruth Elsasser. He married Cathleen Keenan on August 16, 1969, and they were married for 53 years. Tom is survived by daughters, Kerry Ann Elsasser (Art Sheehan) and Amy Marie Morel L'Horset, sons-in-laws Tristan Morel L'Horset and Ryan Kolberg; and grandsons that he adored; Tristan, Thomas, Victor, Tsadiku and Theodore. He was a brother to Neil Elsasser and brother-in-law to Ginny, Audrey, Jimmy, Suzy, Janey, Brian, Michelle, Leanne; as well as uncle to 24 nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, Thomas Richard and daughter, Ruth Ellen. His family was greatly extended by the cherished relationships he had through athletics, which included many beloved teammates, trainers, coaches and players. He loved and treasured each of them and the impact of those relationships will span across time. Tom enjoyed a long career as a teacher, coach, and mentor. He coached in Norwich, VT, Morristown, NJ, Passaic NJ, and Mansfield, PA. He loved being a coach and took on that role whenever he was working with students. He was relentless in his pursuit to ensure that you succeeded in whatever was most important to you and always pushed you to aim higher. The retirement time and friendships made in Moss Creek, SC were precious to both Tom and Cathy. Tom truly valued the friends he made through his love for golfing, hunting, fishing, and skiing. He enjoyed trips to Cape Cod and New Jersey and got great joy out of golfing with his group from Corey Creek Golf Club in Mansfield, PA. Tom supported athletics wherever he served and kept close tabs on how former players and teams were doing long after he left a position. After the death of Cathy, it was the visits and calls from family, coaches, players, neighbors, and friends that sustained him. He received amazing care from each of the caregivers at The Laurels in Wellsboro, PA and for that, he was extremely grateful. Tom touched lives wherever he went, always rooted for the underdog, and had fond memories that he loved to share with others. He had a very fulfilling life and experienced great love, loss, and pride throughout. In one of the last newspaper articles published about him, he was quoted as saying that he got his greatest satisfaction from hearing that a former player was doing well in the game of life. Coach Elsasser surrounded himself with people that were kind, passionate, loyal, hardworking, and fun and he would want us all to do the same. A Celebration of Life will take place at Mansfield University Sunday, July 9, 2023 from 1 PM to 3 PM in the Alumni Hall, 3rd Floor. In lieu of flowers, the family has set up the Tom Elsasser Memorial Scholarship fund that will be awarded to student-athletes from Northern Jersey who attend Mansfield University. Any contributions should be made payable to: Commonwealth of PA - Mansfield, noting Tom Elsasser Memorial Scholarship Fund in the memo. Please mail them to: Mansfield University, 31 South Academy Street, Alumni Hall G-7, Mansfield PA 16933.