Thomas Wesley Leffingwell

Thomas Wesley Leffingwell, Jr., of Gahanna, Ohio, passed away on December 3, 2025 surrounded by his family.

Tom was born on July 14, 1942 in Columbus to Ann (née Newell) and Thomas Leffingwell, Sr. They moved to Grove City where Tom and his five siblings were raised.

He was a loving spouse to Vivien (née Sloan) for 51 years until her death in 2018. Tom and Vivien were loving parents to two children of their own, who gave them six grandchildren, all of whom called him “PapaTom.”

Tom started working in his early teens, and did not stop until he was 80 years old. One of his first jobs was capturing turtles and selling them to the Old Mohawk tavern for pennies apiece. Growing up, he made pizzas, he bartended, he did construction work, he worked on cars, sometimes many of those at the same time. But most of his life’s career was spent either at Sears—where he met Vivien when they were display artists—or as a long-time florist for Talbott’s Flowers in Westerville.

Tom had a reputation for being charming, disarming, and making friends easily. He not only had a great sense of humor, but more notably, he was very quick with it. If someone asked, “Tom, what’s this plant called?” and he didn’t know, he would quickly answer “Ah, that’s your classic summa kinda weedacaucus.” These character traits gained him countless friends and acquaintances over the decades. No matter where in public he went, he would always run into someone who remembered him.

He found a great deal of joy in doing small things for others. After losing Vivien, he worked through his grief by spending more time befriending and helping many of his neighbors. Tom was often trimming their bushes, helping them take out their garbage cans, shoveling their patios, walking their dogs, or sitting with them when recovering from surgeries or illness. He truly cared more for others than he did himself.

Tom is survived by his children Heather Jarvis (née Leffingwell) and Grant Leffingwell, his brothers Darryl Rigby, Denny Leffingwell, and Steve Leffingwell, his sister Sally King (née Leffingwell), and his six grandchildren, along with a full lifetime’s worth of cherished friends and neighbors. He is preceded in death by his wife Vivien, his parents Thomas and Ann, and his brother Robert.

There will be an open house on Saturday, December 27^th, from 3-6pm, at the Amberlea Village community clubhouse in Gahanna, for all family and friends who would like to gather and celebrate Tom’s life.