Thomas N. Groot's Obituary
Thomas Nelson Groot
November 5, 1938 – September 7, 2025
Thomas “Tom” Nelson Groot passed on September 7, 2025 at the age of 86.
He was born in Toledo, Ohio on November 5, 1938. The youngest child of Lucy E. Bennett and Herbert Stanley Groot, Sr. He was the only one of his four siblings to be born in a hospital.
His family moved to San Diego, California in 1955 after visiting the area on vacation the previous year.
His brother Herbert Jr. did not go to San Diego but moved to Houston, Texas and raised two children (Maryalice and Jay Michael) with his wife Marilyn Jaffe.
His sister, Marilyn, lived in San Diego and raise three children (Sam, Robert, and Susan) with her husband Radford Smith.
His brother, Wilber “Bill,” lived in San Diego and then moved to Bullhead City, Arizona where he met and married Lucille Salazar. The couple moved to Pueblo, Colorado to be closer to her family.
All the siblings preceded Tom in death.
Tom enrolled at Mission Bay High School. He met Rollanda Wentz, his future wife, on the city bus on the way home. He and his friend gave up their seats so she and her sister, Johnee, could sit. Johnee commented on Tom’s beautiful eyes and Rollanda replied, “He’s taking me to the prom.” He did take her to the prom.
After graduating from high school, Tom enrolled at San Diego State College (now University). Where he joined the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and earned his associate’s degree in Drafting.
Tom and Rollanda married on June 25, 1960. They had two children, Therese and Thomas.
He began working for General Dynamics, starting in the Stock Room, and later as a Packaging Engineer on the Atlas and Tomahawk missile programs. General Dynamics laid him off in the mid-70s and he worked for Northrup for two years before returning to General Dynamics. He retired in 2000 after thirty-five years.
He was preceded in death by Rollanda in 1996.
Then in 1998, while attending a high school reunion, a friend re-introduced him to Marilyn Stone Rook. They married on March 3, 1999. She preceded him in death in 2019.
He is survived by his children, Therese Moore (Clayton) and Thomas Groot (Graciela); step-children, Mike Rook (Vikki) and Karen Barker (Tom); grandchildren Steven Groot (Danielle), Jon Rook (Alissa), Amanda Cannon (Jeremy), Emily Rook, Brooke Barker, and Katelyn Barker;
great-grandchildren Charlotte Cannon, Grace Cannon, Theodore Cannon, Brody Rook, Milo Rook, and Avery Mae Groot; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held at Clairemont Lutheran Church (4271 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92117), Saturday October 11, 2025 at 1:00 o’clock PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for that donations be made to the Clairemont Lutheran Church building fund or flower fund.
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