J. Henry Stuhr Inc.
http://jhenrystuhr.com
Thomas Hooker Bliss, Sr. died in Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday, November 28. A
devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and good friend, Tom will be fondly remembered
for his incredible wit, good sense of humor, and gentle touch on the dance floor.
Tom Bliss was born in New York City, NY on January 6, 1938 at the then French Hospital, later
St. Vincent's in lower Manhattan to John Henry Bliss of Plainwell, MI and Claribel (Shura)
Schmitt Bliss of Douglaston Manor, NY. A consummate New Yorker, he was immensely proud of
his New York State roots. His family resided on the upper west side and eventually moved to
Ridgewood, NJ, and Washingtonville, NY. Tom attended Kent School in Connecticut, where he
developed his love for the Episcopal Church, and graduated in 1956. He attended and
graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Science in marketing in 1960. He served
with the US Marine Corps, of which he was immensely proud, completing his duty in 1966. Tom
loved his alma mater and attended the Lehigh-Lafayette home football games religiously to
cheer on the "brown and white" with his longtime classmates. In 2015, he served as the grand
marshal of the LU alumni parade leading dozens of fans to Goodman stadium.
Tom opened Bliss Box Corporation in 1972 in West Chester, PA and established plants up the
Eastern seaboard between the mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas. A consummate box man, he
grew the business and sold it to Packaging Corporation of America after a successful 20 year
run. Tom's legacy continues to this day with PCA at the Hanover Container plant in Hanover, PA
where the Bliss Stitcher machine, patented by his Uncle, continues to make corrugated
containers and bears the Bliss Box logo, BBC.
Tom was devoted to community service participating on multiple boards and projects including
the YMCA of Oxford, PA, Elwyn Institute of Media, PA, and more recently Oxford Community
Center of Oxford, MD. He adored sailing and exploring the Chesapeake Bay and the Maine
coastlines where he lived and spent many vacations. He skied until the age of 79 with his
grandchildren summiting the highest slope in Beaver Creek, CO. Always up for an adventure,
Tom traveled extensively throughout the US and abroad and loved the American west,
especially northwestern Montana.
Tom is survived by his wife of 58 years, Patricia Bassett-Powell Bliss, their two children,
Georgina Bassett Bliss Marshall (William "Rick"), and Thomas Hooker Bliss, Jr (Lei), his six
grandchildren, Charles, James, Isabelle, Kevin, Philip, Trinity, beloved cousins, nephews and
extended family. Tom will be incredibly missed by all.
Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., Downtown Chapel
A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com.
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