Thomas Sylvester Acker, 92, of New Castle passed away peacefully at his residence on Friday morning, Sept. 20, 2013. He was born on Dec. 22, 1920, in Beaver to the late Henry and Katherine Kramer Acker. Following his graduation from Mount Jackson High School, he joined the Navy and served until the conclusion of World War II. Tom was a member of the Navy Band and was stationed on the submarine base at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The bombers passed so close to him that he could see the faces of the pilots as they strafed the submarine base and turned to drop their bombs and torpedoes on Battleship Row. Following the war, Tom earned his engineering degree at Iowa State and his Juris Doctor from Youngstown State University. He married the former Bette Callahan on Sept. 3, 1949. She survives him at home. He retired as vice president of Johnson Bronze Co. After his retirement from Johnson Bronze he worked in his son's law practice until he retired again at the age of 90. Tom has been a member of St. Camillus Church since its founding and served as a lector for the parish for many years. He was a member of New Castle Council 512 Knights of Columbus. Tom is survived by his wife Bette of 64 years; their four children, Thomas E. Acker and his wife, Maureen, of Midland, Mich., David H. Acker and his wife, Susan, of New Castle, Peggy Chakan and her husband, Rod, of Cranberry and Kathy Acker of Lancaster, Pa.; one brother, Robert Acker of Silver Spring, Md.; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. He looked forward to the birth of his second great-grandchild, expected in November 2013. Beside his parents, Tom was preceded in death by a sister, Isabella Andakian, and a brother, Fred Acker. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory, 111 W. Falls St. A procession will leave the funeral home at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for St. Camillus Church, where a Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. by the Rev. Thomas J. Lewandowski, pastor. Interment will follow in St. Mary Cemetery. Full military rites will be rendered by the New Castle Area Honor Guard.