Thomas Alexander Leszega, age 58 years, of Raritan Township, NJ, died suddenly but peacefully on Sunday, April 9, 2023, at his home.

Born on July 7, 1964, in Irvington, NJ, son of Evelyn Jean Hunkele Leszega and the late Orest Nicholas Leszega, Tom was raised in Edison, NJ, and had lived in Raritan Township since 2019.

A 1982 graduate of John P. Stevens High School in Edison, Tom would go on to earn his degree from Middlesex County College with a major in retail management and merchandising. He was currently a District Manager for Levi Strauss & Co., where he was much loved by those he led, as well as by his superiors. With humor and diligence, Tom was always looking out for his employees to give them a wonderful working experience as he knew that translated into them giving the customers a wonderful buying environment. He had formerly worked for A & S at Woodbridge Center Mall where again; he made his mark and rose the career ladder rapidly.

It was during his managerial duties visiting various stores, where Tom would stop by Macy’s in Woodbridge in 2011 and as fate would have it, ask Ms. Iricelis Carrero for coffee on what was her last day working at that store. The two would become best friends and joined hands in marriage on July 14, 2018, at The Landing, Hillsborough, NJ.

The pair were the epitome of love in action, as they respected one another and there was nothing that Tom would not do for Iris and she for him. Her family became his, and his family became hers.

With a smile that lit up a room, Tom was the life of any gathering. He had a natural magnetic persona to which everyone gravitated, and he shared his love and friendship with anyone; the adage of “never meeting a stranger” was never more true than with Tom.

The third of four siblings, family was always important to Tom and though he never had children of his own, his nieces and nephews and the next generations all looked to him as a father figure, and he in turn was there for them in all ways. His tender and caring love of his mother over the years was something that set a true benchmark in how the younger generation should treat the generation that came before them.

Growing up, Tom was extremely athletic and had an affinity from an early age for music, specifically playing the guitar. His natural ability to play from the heart made him much sought after and he was a prominent guitarist in several bands over the years including The Michael Davis Band, Velvet Jones, Blind Man Drive, and Lexington Lab Band. Additionally, he was the popular guitar player on Vanderbilly and YouTube known as ZenDriveSeven.

When not playing the guitar or hiking with his canine companions, Tom had many hobbies including flying model airplanes and skiing the toughest mountain trails that he could find. He also enjoyed cooking and was a true ‘foodie’ in every sense of the word. Traveling with family and friends to Hilton Head, SC and watching Formula One Racing were also great sources of joy for him.

Though his life was cut suddenly short for reasons no one will ever know, Tom would want all of those reading this to remember the words of Dr. Seuss who wrote, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” This true ‘Rock Star’ set an example of what the phrase, ‘living life to its fullest’ means and to honor him, is to live each day with a little more dignity, compassion, and love.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, Iris and mother, Evelyn, Tom is survived by his siblings and their spouses, Michael and Carol Leszega, Karen DeStefano, and Stephen and Brandy Leszega; his grandparents-in-law, Jose A. Arroyo and Iris J. Melendez; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Marisol Arroyo and Edwin Carrero; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Edmarie Carrero, Solmarie and Ravi Verma, and Edwin J. Carrero; his nieces and nephews and their spouses, Victoria and Edward Patten, Michael Leszega, Jr., Kevin and Janine Leszega, Gregory and Rachel Leszega, Cadie Leszega, Annastasia Leszega, Stephen Leszega, Jr., Rowan Verma, Rylen Verma, Emma Subero, and Rafael Subero; his great nieces and nephews, Valentina, Juliette, Bennett, Garrett, Lorenzo, Giovanni, and Isabella; his faithful and beloved canine companions, Hunter and Perla; several extended family members; and many dear friends.

Tom will lie in repose on Saturday, April 15, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

Life celebration services will follow the visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home and to which all are welcome. If you are unable to attend on Saturday but would like something read on your behalf at the ceremony, please click HERE to send an email to the funeral home.

Interment will be private.

You are encouraged to visit Tom’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

As Tom loved all animals, memorial contributions in his honor and memory may be made to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, via mail to 575 Woodlawn Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940, or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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