When Thomas John Diamanty came to America in 1954, he was 17 years old, newly arrived from Eratyra, Greece, with one dollar in his pocket and an older sister waiting for him.
Tom, 89, of Wilmington, Delaware, passed away peacefully on June 7, 2026. His life stretched from a village in Greece to a family home in Wilmington, from military service to business ownership, from Sunday mornings at Holy Trinity to the sidelines of his grandsons’ games, where everyone came to know him simply as Pappou.
He was born in 1937 to Eleni Karamitsios Diamantis and Yianni Diamantis, the youngest of 13 children. After arriving in the United States, he lived with his older sister, Agnes, learned English by watching television and immersing himself in the surrounding culture, and later graduated from high school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
Tom went on to attend HVAC trade school before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He served with the 562nd Engineering Company from 1958 to 1960. During those years, he survived two serious accidents, a jet plane crash in 1958 and a helicopter crash in 1959.
Not long after leaving the military, Tom met Sultana Kirifides at a Greek dance in Chester, Pennsylvania. They married on December 9, 1962, and built their life together in Wilmington, where they raised their two sons in a home filled with Greek language, food, hospitality, and tradition.
Those traditions were not quiet ones. Sue’s name day parties for Tom became part of family memory, with relatives and friends gathering at the house on Naamans Road and cars lined up outside. They were the kind of gatherings that said as much about the family as they did about the occasion: open doors, full tables, and people who knew they were welcome.
In 1974, Tom founded T.J. Diamanty Engineering Co., a mechanical contracting company that became the work of his life. Through it, he provided for his family and helped others along the way, especially those who, like him, had come from Greece looking for a chance to build a life in America.
Still, family remained at the center of everything. Tom rarely missed his grandsons’ games, no matter the weather or the distance. Teammates, parents, and fans knew who Pappou was. For anyone who did not, his license plate made it clear. It read simply, “Pappou.” He also loved time at the beach house and the ski trips he shared with “his boys.”
Tom was a devoted member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Wilmington, where he served for many years on the Parish Council and as an officer. He also took pride in co-chairing the annual Holy Trinity Greek Festival. Many parishioners remember him arriving early on Sundays, greeting people with warmth, a smile, and a kind word.
People who knew him remember a man who not only offered encouragement. He often found a way to help. He was a storyteller, a steady presence in the lives of those around him, and above all, a man deeply loved by the family that called him Pappou.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Sultana Kirifides Diamanty, and his son, John. He is survived by his son Michael and daughter-in-law Lori Ricci, who cared for him faithfully in his final years; his grandsons Thomas Luke and his wife, Haylie; Thomas John; Peter; Christian and his wife, Anah; and his great-grandson, Jude.
A viewing will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 808 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, Delaware. The funeral service will begin at 11:30 a.m. Burial will follow at Lawn Croft Cemetery, 1000 W. Ridge Road, Linwood, Pennsylvania.