Thomas Seel Douthit, Sr.

Thomas Seel Douthit, Sr. was promoted to heaven to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, February 1, at the age of 90. Thomas was born in Sykesville, Pennsylvania, on December 21, 1935, the son of the late Clifford Eugene Douthit and Ruth Radaker Douthit. At the age of four he moved to Bradford, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Bradford High School in 1953. Thomas was the first member of his family to attend college, working to pay his way through college, often barely having enough money for food. He graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Wood Utilization in 1958.

Upon graduation, Tom was commissioned into the United States Army Intelligence Corps as a Counterintelligence Special Agent. His quick wit and gift for languages made him a natural fit for this career. Tom married his wife, Audrey Weber Douthit, in June 1958, just after his college graduation. They moved around the U.S. and then were stationed in West Germany for four years. Upon his return to the U.S., he worked at the Pentagon until he was deployed to Vietnam for one year. His tour of duty earned him the bronze star for heroic and meritorious service. After leaving the military as a Major, he entered the emerging field of computer programming. He worked for Riggs National Bank, Computer Science Corporation, and then returning to his alma mater, he finished his career as a senior systems analyst at Penn State, retiring in 1997.

Throughout his life, Tom particularly enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, and reading. Tom and Audrey enjoyed exploring together, whether it was a new restaurant or one of their many international adventures. He loved sharing his hobbies with his grandchildren, teaching them to fish, shoot guns, pick fruit, and look for animal tracks on the trails he cut in the woods on his Potters Mills property. He loved having the whole family together for holidays and special occasions. Possessing an outgoing personality and a story for every occasion, Tom was quick to find commonality with those he met. He had a generous heart and was passionate about donating to the local food pantry.

Tom is survived by his wife of 67 years, Audrey and their children Virginia Arslain (Pete) of York, PA; Susan Wallace (Mike) of Methuen, MA; Thomas Douthit, Jr. (Joe) of Bellefonte, PA; and Carl Douthit (Nancy) of York, PA. He is also survived by his eleven grandchildren: Kara, Paul, and Monica (Arslain); Hannah, Lydia, Alex, Jacob, and Ethan (Wallace); Jonathan, David, and Sarah (Douthit); and four great-grandchildren: Charlotte, Geordi, Sullivan, and Reuben. Additional survivors include his sister Gaye Nickels of Lewisburg, PA and his brother Richard Douthit (Sandy) of Ft. Worth, TX.

A funeral service will be held at the Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc., 1551 Kenneth Road, York on Thursday, February 5th, at 4:00 PM with Pastor Jesse Loggans of Calvary Baptist Church officiating. Visitation with the family will begin at 3:00 PM. Burial will be at Ft. Indiantown Gap with a private ceremony for the family. Tom’s funeral service will be webcast on his obituary page at www.HeffnerCare.com

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

The family wishes to thank friends, Visiting Angels, and Memorial White Rose Hospice, and Calvary Baptist Church for their care and support during this time.