Obituary of Thomas M. Cheplick

It is with bittersweet yet comforting thoughts that we remember Thomas Michael Cheplick who fell asleep in the Lord on Saturday, February 3rd at the age of 95. Born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, Tom left his hometown to join the army and served honorably in the Korean War. After his service, he attended Muhlenberg College and graduated from Mansfield University, obtaining his BS in Education. He eventually moved to Elmira Heights where he fell in love, not only with his adopted town but also his soul mate, Mildred Petelchuk. In April, they would have celebrated 69 years of marriage. Tom was hired at Thomas Edison High School to teach Science and Physics and remained there for 38 years before retiring. By all accounts, he was a beloved teacher and mentor - and liked nothing better than to hear from former students. He had a genuine interest in their lives and achievements. Along with academics, and because of his own participation in college baseball and football, he also coached numerous young people in tennis, swimming, football, and especially, baseball. And although he was averse to accolades, it was a well - deserved honor when he was inducted into the New York State Coaches Hall of Fame as well as the Edison Sports Hall of Fame, along with his big brother Dave. He rooted for the New York Giants, Syracuse basketball, Penn State football and was a lifelong fan of the Philadelphia Phillies. It would be very difficult to find anyone who did not know or was not impacted by Tom Cheplick. For many summers, he ran the Heights summer recreational swimming program. He oversaw the teaching of thousands of kids how to swim. He eventually became involved with the Corning LPGA tournament, volunteering his time. He was a tonsured Reader and mainstay in the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church choir in Elmira Heights, where he worshipped for over seven decades. Ever the lover of music, Tom was a beautiful tenor with the Mark Twain Barbershoppers. He loved traveling, gardening, dancing, and reading; his interests and hobbies were many and varied. But of all the words written about Tom, he was most proud of his family. He is survived by his wife Mildred (Petelchuk) Cheplick and his sister, Maryanne (Cheplick) Turko; his children Thomas (Maria) Cheplick, Steven (Shirley) Cheplick, Julie (David) Cordingley, and Deanna (Tim) McLaughlin, and his grandchildren, Andrew (Jillian) and Alyson (Chris) Cordingley, Larissa and Julianna Cheplick, Thomas, Nikolai, Melania, and Alexei Cheplick, and Shannon Woodruff (family), along with much beloved nieces and nephews. All can attest to his kind, humble, and sincere nature. His devotion to God guided everything. His family welcomes you to visiting hours at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 140 Horseheads Blvd, Elmira Heights on Friday, Feb 9th, from 4 PM with a Panakhida service at 7 PM. On Saturday, there will be Divine Liturgy at 10AM followed by his final resting place in the church's cemetery. We respectfully ask that in lieu of flowers, please consider sending a check to the Cheplick Family Scholarship Fund administered by the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and Finger Lakes, Inc. at 301 S Main Street in Horseheads, NY 14845. Or visiting their website https://communityfund.org/give/ and selecting the "Cheplick Family Scholarship.