Thomas William "Tom" Dingbaum

Thomas William “Tom” Dingbaum, 79, of Wake Forest died peacefully in his home with his family by his side Monday morning, November 7, 2022. He was born in Dyersville, Iowa to the late Clarence Edmund Dingbaum and Marcella Mary Koopman Dingbaum.

Tom served as a Captain in the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) Unit and was a Korean Linguist. He had various stateside assignments as well as Okinawa and Vietnam. Tom was awarded two Purple Hearts for injuries during the Vietnam War. After his honorable discharge from the military, Tom was employed at Burlington Industries in Clarksville, VA and Raleigh, NC; and was a letter carrier for the US Postal Service. 

Tom, along with Army friend, Phil Latimer, helped Millbrook HS teacher Lindy Poling facilitate her “Lessons of Vietnam” class to honor students so that younger people had a better understanding of that conflict. He was exceptionally proud to be part of Ms. Poling's program. 

Tom was an active member of St. Raphael’s Catholic Church for 20 years, and at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church for 25 years in Raleigh, serving on the parish council, finance committees, music ministry and as Eucharistic Minister. 

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 o’clock, Tuesday morning, November 29, 2022, at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, St. Mary of the Angels Chapel, 11401 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613.

Mr. Dingbaum is survived by his wife of 54 years, Judie Baumgartner Dingbaum; stepson, Daniel Edward Devine & wife Mary of Wake Forest; siblings, Elizabeth Dingbaum of Waukesha, WI, Herbert Dingbaum of Wake Forest, Carolyn Katherine Jasper & husband Patrick of Pittsboro and Donald John Dingbaum & wife Virginia of Layton, UT; step-grandchild, Zachary Devine of Los Angeles, CA and Lindsay Devine of Wake Forest; sister-in-law, Tomie Lee of Millersville, MD. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Gary Dennis Dingbaum and Anthony Joseph Dingbaum; sisters-in-law, Angela Dingbaum and Carol Dingbaum.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's North Carolina, LLS-North Carolina, P.O. Box 22443, New York, NY 10087-2443, Duke Children’s Hospital, 2301 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27705, Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 and please consider being a Red Cross blood donor, volunteering at a shelter, or contributing to church food and clothing drives. 

Arrangements by Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home, 1051 Durham Road, Wake Forest, NC. (919)556-7400

www.cswfuneralhome.com