Thomas W. Plymesser

Thomas (Tom, Tommy) William Plymesser of Wakefield, Rhode Island passed away on Friday, April 12th at the Rhode Island Veterans home in Bristol, RI where he has lived since 2018.

Tom is a lifelong resident of Rhode Island. He was born at his home at 59 Farewell Street Newport, Rhode Island on August 6, 1923. He was born to Raymond Edward Plymesser and Mary Ellen (Brooks) Plymesser. Tom’s father, Raymond Edward Plymesser (Ray) Sr. was born in Covington, Kentucky. His mother Mary Ellen Brooks was born in Newport, Rhode Island on July, 21, 1903. Raymond spent his adult life living in Rhode Island. He was a baker and worked in Providence, Portsmouth and Newport bakeries, retiring in 1966 from the Newport Hospital. He passed away March 18, 1983. Mary passed away on June 11, 1999. Mary and Ray had 6 sons and 1 daughter.

Tom Plymesser, as many of his generation, had to work in different positions to support his family. Tom joined the Navy in 1942. He was in the US Navy for 3 years from 10/31/1942 to 11/1/1945. He attended Boot Camp at the Naval Training School in Newport, RI and attended Elementary and Advanced Courses in April and June 1943 at the Torpedo School at the U.S. Naval Training Station in Newport Rhode Island. He also attended PT boat training school in Newport RI. Tom was stationed at the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, RI: MTB Sqd.8 and MTB Sqd.4 MTBTS, Melville, RI. Tom saw active duty in the South Pacific between 1943 - 1944, on the PT120 which was stationed in New Guinea. He left Melville on a troop train and traveled to San Francisco, via Canada and Chicago. Almost immediately upon arriving in New Guinea, he contracted Malaria. Tom was assigned to PT boat 120 which was an Elko 80. This PT boat had 10 men and two officers. There was one Torpedo man (Tom), one gunner, one cook, one quartermaster (chart courses), 4 motor mechanics (took care of engines). The Captain of the PT120 was William (Bill) Shine. In New Guinea, he had many encounters with the Japanese fleet in the waters off New Guinea. He was attached to a Tender, which moves along the coast. PT 120 patrolled the waters from Tender to shore. There were several bases along the coast that were protected. The PT120 also patrolled New Britain, a large Island off New Guinea, which had a large Japanese base. After New Guinea, he returned to the states to San Francisco and returned to Melville by train. Between 1944 and 1945 Tom was a Torpedo Instructor at Melville Station. Tom was designated a Torpedoman’s Mate, First Class, USNR V-6. He held the following ratings: A/S (Seaman), S2/c (Seaman 2nd class), TM3/c, TM2/c, TM1/c (Torpedoman 1st class) during his tenure. He was issued the following awards: the Asiatic Pacific Ribbon – 3 stars and the World War II Victory Medal.

On February 10, 1945, Tom married Eugenia (Jean) Anne Nunes at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Jamestown, RI. Jean was born May 6, 1926, in Jamestown, RI. At the time of their marriage, Jean was living with her parents on Maple Avenue in Jamestown. Her father, Manuel Nunes Silviera was born 5/21/1891 in Terceira, Azores. Jean’s mother was Eugenia (Mello) Nunes-Silviera, born on March 28, 1896, in Terceira, Azores. She immigrated to the US in 1921 with her husband and became a naturalized citizen of the US on December 26, 1940. Jean passed away at Scallop Shell Nursing Home on December 22, 2012. Tom and Jean had three children: Kenneth (Senor) Plymesser of Kingston, Rhode Island, Donald Plymesser of La Mesa, CA and Linda Plymesser of Friday Harbor, WA.

After the Navy, Tom worked in Jamestown as a painter one summer, then worked at General Motors in CT making Ball Bearings. In the summer of 1946, Tom attended the North Dakota State School of Science (now known as the North Dakota College of Science, Wahpeton, ND) to study Printing. In the fall of 1946, he attended Central High School’s Printing program in Providence, RI. After printing school, he looked for printing positions throughout New England, hitchhiking to print shops to look for work. In 1947, Frederick J. Wilson Jr. hired Tom at the Narragansett Times in Wakefield, RI. ( The Wilson Publishing Company ). Tom worked at the Narragansett Times, Wakefield, RI for 47 years, from 1947 to 1994. Tom started in 1947 as a ‘type setter’. At that time, newspapers used the letterpress printing process which used moveable wood type to set the print page. When the Times bought a Linotype, Tom learned to operate the Linotype which was a specialized job at that time. Linotype machines used lead to generate type for printing. He became Foreman and when he retired, he was the Production Manager at the Narragansett Times. He retired on 4/26/1994.

Tom and Jean made their home in Wakefield, RI, moving from Jamestown in 1948 after Tom was hired as a printer at the Narragansett Times. Between 1948 and 1958, Tom and family lived in both Peace Dale and Wakefield. Their family home was on Prospect Avenue in Wakefield. Tom enjoyed walking to work every day. Tom and Jean eventually would move to The Village on Worden’s Pond and then to Indian Run Apartments in Wakefield. Tom enjoyed fishing off the rocks and in the waters in Rhode Island beginning at an early age with his dad. His favorite spots were in Jamestown and in Newport or going out into the ocean with friends. Tom Plymesser was a high diver and used to dive off the cranes in Newport and Jamestown. He enjoyed an occasional game of golf and traveling to New Hampshire and Maine to visit friends and to fish. For their 50th wedding anniversary, Tom and Jean went on a cruise in the Caribbean. With retirement, there was more travel to Spain, the West coast, Branson, Missouri, Florida, Cape Cod and around New England. Tom always enjoyed being with his wife and his family.

He is predeceased by his parents, Ray and Mary, his wife Jean, four brothers, one sister, and one grandchild, Kristian Plymesser of Wakefield, RI who passed away in May 5, 2002.

Tom is survived by three children, Kenneth Plymesser and his wife Diane of Kingston, RI, Donald Plymesser of La Mesa, CA, and Linda Plymesser and her husband Michael Cuddington of Friday Harbor, WA; six grandchildren, Katrina Plymesser, Michael Thomas, Ian Plymesser, Schuyler (Sky) Plymesser, Ryder and Wyatt Cuddington; and two great grandchildren, Zachary Thomas and Peyton Plymesser; and his brother, Arthur Plymesser of Middletown, RI.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, April 18th, 2024, at 10:00am in St. Francis of Assisi Church, 114 High St., Wakefield, RI. Burial with military honors will be held in RI Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, Exeter. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. For guest book and condolences, AveryStortiFuneralHome.com.