Thomas Ryan Devlin, age 25 years, of Hopewell, NJ, died on Thursday, August 26, 2021.

Born in Princeton, NJ, February 29, 1996, son of Susan Maria Smits and Thomas Devlin, he was a lifelong resident of Hopewell, NJ.

A 2014 graduate of Hopewell Valley Central High School, Tommy was a loyal, loving and caring son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend.

With a quick Irish wit, Tommy used his voice for good, being that person who would give you a listening ear and sage advice. He was known among his peers to be a, “stand-up guy”, and his friends are left to wonder if he knew how much he really meant to them.

His family was extremely important, and Tommy cherished his role as the older brother of Megan and Dylan who adored him and looked up to him; not only for his sports trivia knowledge, but for the simple fact that he was there for them in every way possible.

Simple and humble in all that he did, Tommy’s parents and grandparents never had any worries with Tommy as he had a good head on his shoulders and was a foundation for the family.

A passionate Philadelphia Eagles fan, he loved listening to Philly Sports Radio and used to laugh while telling people that the best days of his life were when Megan and Dylan were born as well as when the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017. Sunday football was always a fun day in Tommy’s home, as his maternal grandparents are die-hard Green Bay Packers fans, and his mother and brother are die-hard Dallas Cowboy, so there was always much to discuss and many Thanksgiving meals were scheduled around who was playing! He was also a devout Notre Dame football and New York Yankees fan.

Loving the outdoors, especially playing with his beloved dog “Buddy”, Tommy also enjoyed going to the movies, reading and collecting comics, and collecting memorabilia from his favorite DC comic characters, especially Batman and The Joker. He was eclectic in his tastes, enjoying a wide range of movies and television shows, and many movie genre’s including sports-themed films, westerns, comedies, psychological thrillers and DC and Marvel movies. Tommy looked forward to the release of any movie directed by Christopher Nolan, the Safdie brothers, the Cohen brothers, and Quentin Tarantino.

A diligent and trusted worker, Tommy was a long time driver for Primo’s Hoagies in Ewing, NJ, where colleagues and customers alike adored him for his passion and genuineness.

Well-read and appreciating both the beauty of nature and the beauty of the written word, it is only appropriate to try to capture Tommy’s life via the words of Robert Frost, in his poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” where we read these words, “Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.”

Though Tommy’s death is a stark reminder that death is a part of life, it is also a reminder that we can keep him alive each day through our actions towards others in trying to make this world a better place. If we try to make this world a kinder and more gentle place, we honor Tommy.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Thomas “Al” Devlin and Marjorie Devlin; an uncle, Richard “Deke” Devlin; and a sister, Samantha.

Surviving, in addition to his mother and father, are his siblings, Megan Garity Lako and Dylan Caldwell; his maternal grandparents, Patricia Garity Smits and David Smits; his uncle and aunts, Jon and Sarah Smits and Beth Smits; his cousins, Michael Patrick Smits, Andrew Smits, and Jake Elliot; his beloved dog, “Buddy”; several extended family members; and many dear friends.

Tommy will lie in repose on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A life celebration service will follow the gathering beginning at 7:00 p.m. and to which all are welcome.

Realizing that some may be unable to attend due to the pandemic, the Life Celebration Service on Tuesday will be live-streamed, with the stream being active starting at 6:45 p.m. To watch, please click HERE and kindly ensure you do not have a pop-up blocker enabled. (If you are having issues with clicking above, please follow this link: https://vimeo.com/event/1261737/23dc6ce465).

Interment in the family plot will take place privately at Highland Cemetery, Hopewell, NJ.

You are encouraged to visit Tommy’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.

Contributions in Tommy’s honor may be made to the animal rescue where he adopted his beloved “Buddy”: Animal Alliance, via mail to 1432 County Route 179, Lambertville, NJ 08530 or via the online link HERE.

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