Thomas Craig Lancaster, 68, of Hermitage, died peacefully on Thursday, March 7, 2019, surrounded by his wife and three sons. Mr. Lancaster was born July 1, 1950, in Connellsville, PA, a son of Louis and Virginia (Dragoo) Lancaster.

Tom was a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Throughout his life, he used his quick wit and gift of storytelling to bring joy and laughter to all those who knew him.

Tom dedicated his professional life to education and was passionate about helping students with learning disabilities. He spent 35 years as a teacher in the Hermitage School District and also coached Track and Field for many years, drawing on his successful high school experience in discus and shot put. He grew up in Connellsville and graduated from Geibel High School. He then earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock University,respectively.

Tom was a longtime member of Church of the Good Shepherd, West Middlesex, where he served as a reader and a Eucharistic Minister. He was also an avid sportsman. As a young man, he enjoyed hunting and remained a fisherman all his life. In recent years, he particularly enjoyed fishing at Pymatuning, Lake Wilhelm, and Lake Erie. He was also an enthusiastic sports fan, loyally following Penn State and Pittsburgh teams. He assisted statisticians at Three Rivers Stadium, saw the Chuck Noll Steelers Super Bowl teams in person, and firmly believed that the Pirates and Penguins were unlikely to win if he watched the games. He liked to recount the times he saw Willy Mays play at Forbes Field and when he met Muhammad Ali in college.

In addition to his parents, Tom was preceded in death by his grandmother, Julia Schlinger Dragoo, whom he cherished and considered a profound influence on his life. He was also, very close to his mother, moving her into an adjacent house and visiting her daily for more than two decades.

Tom leaves behind his devoted and loving wife Mary Anne, who he was married to for 43 years. They remained inseparable since meeting at IUP in 1970 and enjoyed a laughter-filled life together, focusing on family and enjoying travel. They took family trips to Yellowstone National Park, Washington DC, the Outer Banks, and Florida. For their 25th Anniversary, they visited Alaska—a trip Tom particularly enjoyed. In later years, Tom and Mary Anne wintered in Sun City, Arizona, exploring the landscape that Tom become attached to as a child through his love of Westerns on television and film. The pride of Tom and Mary Anne's life together were their three sons and seven grandchildren. Their oldest son, Thomas Michael, his spouse Heather, and their three daughters Mae, Anna, and Julia settled in Wenham, MA. Tom and Mary Anne's second son, Michael Kevin, his wife Rachel, their two daughters Chloe and Riley, and their son David live in Murrysville, PA. Tom and Mary Anne's youngest son, Mark and his wife Bridget and son Leo, currently live in London, United Kingdom. Tom and Mary Anne, who both were teachers, instilled the value of education in their sons; they collectively earned four Bachelors Degrees, two Masters Degrees, and a Ph.D. They all inherited Tom's sense of humor and are carrying forward his dedicated, hands on, and fun approach to fatherhood. All of Tom's grandkids loved to laugh and engage in tickle fights with their Pap Pap.

As a young man, Tom was a cancer survivor. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

Calling hours will be 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday (03/10/2019) in J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 1090 East State St., Sharon.

Mass of Christian burial will be 11:30 a.m. Monday (03/11/2019) in Church of the Good Shepherd, 3613 Sharon Rd., West Middlesex, with Rev. Glenn Whitman, pastor, as celebrant.

Interment: St. Rose Cemetery, Hermitage.