Thomas E. Lias, 77, of Ford City, died Tuesday, January 26, 2021, at his residence.
Born August 6, 1943, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, he was a son of the late Robert L. and Martha R. (Reefer) Lias.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he served as a corpsman at Chelsea Naval Base in Boston, during the Vietnam War.
He was employed as a welder by Allegheny Ludlum in Brackenridge. After his retirement, he opened his own business, Nitro Welding.
Creating iron sculptures was a passion of his, and his creations were sold locally, online, and all throughout the United States. An avid outdoorsman, Tom enjoyed cutting grass, fishing, hunting, canoeing on the Allegheny River, and camping on the beach in Erie. He always looked forward to wintering on his sailboat in the Florida Keys.
Tom loved coaching hockey, and he coached for both the Ford City Bulls and Armstrong Amateur Hockey. He spent his retirement years with his friend and fellow welding business owner, Bill “Opie” Obrien, and loved debating current events with his friends Wade, Ray, and Roy.
He is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Candace (Faykosh) Lias, whom he married on November 10, 1967; his son, Jason Lias of Pittsburgh; a sister, Marcia Glass of Fayetteville, GA; a brother, Richard (Diane) Lias of Meadville; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Michael Lias.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. Arrangements are in the care of Welch Funeral Home, 1032 Fourth Ave., Ford City. To share memories or condolences, please visit www.welchfh.com.
In memory of Tom, reach out to someone with whom you’ve lost contact, and tell them how much they mean to you, and share a warm 16 oz can of Pabst.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Thomas E. Lias, please visit our floral store.