Thomas Arthur Paul Hunsinger

Thomas Arthur Paul Hunsinger, age 79, and a lifelong resident of Berwick, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville on Saturday, September 4, 2021.  

Tom was born in Berwick on November 29, 1941, the son of Arthur Silas Hunsinger and Alice Louise Barrall Hunsinger.  He graduated from Berwick High School in 1959 and studied at Penn State University and Williamsport Technical College.  In 1964, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a cartographer for top-secret Cold War operations at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts.

After leaving the military in 1968, Tom returned to Berwick and met the love of his life and future wife Karen Sitler on a blind date set up by his cousin Kathy and Karen’s brother Doug.  In May 1970, they married at Bethany Methodist Church.  Together, they raised three wonderful children.  

Tom worked as a linotype printer, computer typesetter, and print specialist at Keystone Publishing Company (later named The Great American Printer) where he served the Berwick community’s publications needs including for the school district, hospital, and PP&L for over 30 years. 

Tom loved his dogs, his books, nature, art, and learning. He could often be seen walking his beloved dogs Buffy and Snickers for long walks around the neighborhood. He was a frequent visitor to  the Berwick Public Library. Tom was an avid reader with a constant supply of books; he enjoyed science fiction, mystery, and crime-thriller novels as well as non-fiction.

Tom especially loved connecting with nature. He shared this with his children by taking them on nature walks in Riverlands and along the Susquehanna River, teaching them about plants and wildlife, particularly birdwatching. His family has fond memories of picnicking in state parks including Ricketts Glen and Worlds End. Tom was a gardener, starting plants from seed in his window, and growing abundant vegetable and flower gardens with his family.

Tom was an artist and captured the natural world in his work. He enjoyed experimenting and creating, from photography with Super 8 movies and slide film, to cast sculpture and building models, to various mediums of drawing and painting. Above all, Tom was an accomplished oil painter, and his beautiful paintings of covered bridges, garden markets, and still lifes hang throughout his family’s home.

Tom was a self-taught man whose curiosity and appreciation for knowledge was extraordinary.  He constantly was learning about science, computers, languages, history, geography, and the architectural and natural wonders of the world. He was always eager to share what he had recently learned, describing far-off places that he had never visited and historical events from long ago in stunning detail.  It only took a few minutes of talking with him to learn something new.  

Tom was caring, loved his family deeply, and funny with his own brand of humor and observations about the world.

Tom will be greatly missed by his entire loving family.  He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Karen Noel (Sitler) Hunsinger; his children Amber Hunsinger and husband Kevin Klesh, Nyack, New York, Neil Hunsinger, Mountain Top, and Kimberly (Hunsinger) Levan and wife Destiny Levan, Berwick; his three grandchildren Natalie, Jacob and Ian, and his fur baby, Snickers.

Services will be Friday September 10, 2021 at 2:00 pm at Bethany United Methodist Church, 116 Summerhill Ave., Berwick. Family will receive friends from 1:00 pm until time of service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Berwick Public Library or the Pennsylvania SPCA at 1467 Bloom Road, Danville, PA 17821.

Family and friends may send online condolences to jameslhinckleyjrfuneralhome.com.

The James L. Hinckley Jr. Funeral Home and Cremation Services Inc, Berwick is handling arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Thomas Arthur Paul Hunsinger, please visit our floral store.