Thomas L. Bechtel

The service will be livestreamed.  The link is provided below:

https://vimeo.com/event/3305040/4d5f37ca52

Thomas LeRoy Bechtel, 80, died early Tuesday morning, April 11, 2023 at Greencroft Goshen Health Care, after a valiant fight with Parkinson’s Disease. He was born August 17, 1942 in Goshen, Indiana to Lowell and Betty (Whirledge) Bechtel. After meeting the love of his life at Camp Friedenswald, he married Jeannette Sprunger in Goshen on June 24, 1962, and were together for almost 60 years at the time of her death in May 2022.

Surviving are his two children, Christine (Harley) Bontrager of Goshen and Scott (Kimberle) of Celebration, Florida; five grandchildren, Breanna Bechtel, Ocoee, Florida and Dalton Bechtel, Celebration, Florida, Sabrina Simms, Elkhart,  Natasha (Ken) Overmyer, Nappanee, and Jarin Bontrager, Terre Haute, and two great-granddaughters, Ellelana and Emmaleigh Overmyer; a sister, Jane (David) Troup, Goshen, and a sister-in-law, Linda Bechtel, Kalamazoo, Michigan and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, brother, Edward Bechtel, and a grandson, Nicholas Simms.

Tom graduated from Goshen High School in 1960 and attended Bluffton University (College) for two years. In 1963, he and his wife, Jeannette, went to Leopoldville (Kinshasa), Zaire, as volunteers with the Mennonite Central Committee. After completing their two years of service, they settled in Goshen where he was employed at Penn Controls, later known as Johnson Controls, as a Tool & Die apprentice, working his way up to foreman and retiring from there after more than 35 years.

Tom had many, many interests over the years; he built a small home in the countryside on three acres, later turning that home into the attached two car garage for their larger family home. He also built the barn on the property, putting up all the fencing and had an enormous garden. He always enjoyed animals – from having his own monkey (!) and dog while in Africa, to raising steers, hogs, chickens and rabbits to provide for his family, to raising beagles as hunting dogs, to always having some kind of dog and farm cats on the property until he retired, to the horses he bought for his children. He loved boating on Lake Wawasee with the speedboat he built and shooting in a weekly Trap League. He also built his own hog roaster and hired himself out to various events to make extra money. He was heavily involved with his children’s 4-H careers, and served as Saddle Club president for one year. After retiring, he loved to camp with their 5 ^th wheel and travel with friends. He has visited every state, Canada, Mexico, Haiti, Australia, Fiji and visited Europe several times in addition to going on cruises to the Caribbean, the Panama Canal and Alaska. He loved life and had a sharp sense of humor – if a prank was possible, he was the one who did it. Laughter was an integral part of his life. He loved to take his grandchildren camping, swimming and just have fun with them. But most of all, he loved to just spend time with Jeannette.

Memorial donations can be made to Camp Friedenswald or The American Parkinson Disease Association.

A service celebrating Tom’s life will be held at Eighth Street Mennonite Church, (602 S 8th Street, Goshen) where he was a lifelong member, on Saturday, April 15 at 11 a.m. followed by a graveside service and burial in Violett Cemetery. Viewing and family visitation will be at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home on Friday, April 14, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. and at the church on Saturday, April 15 before the service, from 10 to 11 a.m.