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Thomas Francis Lombardi, Ph. D.

The Obituary of Dr. Thomas Francis Lombardi, Phd

Dr. Thomas Francis Lombardi, Emeritus Professor of Literature at Holy Family University, author, poet, artist, photographer and media producer, gardener, world traveler, gentleman, lover of life and country, died Friday, January 29, 2021.

Dr. Lombardi received his undergraduate at LaSalle University, his Masters from Villanova University and his Doctorate from Temple University. He started his teaching career at Pennsauken High School in New Jersey after which he was employed at Holy Family College and remained there for 45 years teaching in the school of Arts & Sciences.

Holy Family was his second home where he met and eventually married his bride Victoria. There he made many friendships and taught thousands of students who up to his last days would contact him just to say how much he meant to them.

Dr. Lombardi spent many decades organizing the Holy Family’s Folio project. He picked poems and short stories for the booklet and routinely arranged evening celebrations for various readings.

Traveling the world would not be an exaggeration for Dr. Lombardi. He started as a young man traveling his entire life. He would most assuredly be defined as a “globetrotter”, “travel buff”, and especially a “travel lover”! One trip he spoke of often was being present in Eastern Europe and witnessing the fall of the Iron Curtain.

What fed his soul was his immense love for the Catholic Church. He regularly went to mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA, where his wife Vicki was the choir director for a number of years. He also made weekly visits to the Barto Shrine of Padre Pio and made many annual trips to the Benedictine monks in Still River Massachusetts.

Dr. Lombardi’s literary works include “Wallace Stevens and the Pennsylvania Keystone”, “To the Ends of the Earth” and  “Portfolio of the Earth”. He also created a wonderful video presentation called “Wallace Stevens: Portrait of a Walker” utilizing photographs of many Steven’s visited locales - photographs which Dr. Lombardi took himself. 

Finally Dr. Lombardi loved being surrounded by his family and friends at his beautiful home in Bucks County.  His most favorite times were seated around his dining table serving huge feasts while entertaining with great storytelling. There were many, many, amazing and fun memories made around that table. He was loved and respected by so many and he will surely be missed by all.

Dr. Lombardi’s Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 13,  2021 in the St. Anne’s Chapel at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa (behind the upper level main church), 654 Ferry Rd., Doylestown, PA 18901 where his viewing will take place from 12:15 pm until the start of Mass. His entombment will follow in the Shrine Cemetery.   

In lieu of flowers, contribution in his memory may be made to St Benedict Abbey, 252 Still River Rd., Still River, MA 01467, National Centre for Padre Pio, 111 Barto Rd., Barto, Pa 19504-8730, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, 654 Ferry Rd., Doylestown, Pa 18901 or Holy Family University, 9801 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, Pa 19114.

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Service/Memorial Information
  • Afternoon Visitation

    Saturday, February 13th, 2021
    12:15 PM - 1:00 PM

    St. Anne Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
    654 Ferry Road
    Doylestown, PA 18901

  • Service

    Saturday, February 13th, 2021
    1:00 PM

    St. Anne Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
    654 Ferry Road
    Doylestown, PA 18901

  • Cemetery

    Saturday, February 13th, 2021

    Cemetery Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
    654 Ferry Road
    Doylestown, PA 18901

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