Thomas "Tom" Valva

Thomas “Tom” Valva Obituary Thomas Valva passed away on September 11, 2026, in Norfolk, Virginia, at the age of 67 after a brief illness. Born on December 1, 1958, in East Orange, New Jersey, Tom is survived by his wife and love of 50 years, Debbie-Lynn Valva (Harris), of Norfolk, Virginia; his stepson, Jason Jeffrey Harris, of Salt Lake City, Utah; his father, Vincent Thomas Valva, of Clearwater, Florida; his sisters, Lisa Phillips (Valva) and her husband, James L. Phillips, of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, and Maria Jackson (Valva) and her husband, Robert Richard Jackson, of Dunedin, Florida; and his brother, Robert Valva, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He is also survived by his nephews, Jacob Valva (Chloe), Cole Valva (Karissa), and Ethan Valva; his grandniece, Stella Valva; his nephew, Richard James Russo; his niece, Nicole Lynn Beck (Dancisin), and her husband, Steve; and his two grandbabies, Jackson Matthew Beck and Mason Richard Beck, of Concord, North Carolina. Tom was predeceased by his mother, Ruth Valva (Zemaitis); his nephew, Stefan Z. Gasiewicz; and his niece, Christa J. Gasiewicz. Tom loved learning and earned an MBA from Rutgers University-Newark, school of Management with a concentration in Information Systems; and a BBA in Business Administration, Finance, Economics and International Management from William Paterson University of New Jersey and was a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon Honor Society in Economics. His career began as a Systems Consultant at Bankers Trust Corporation in Paramus New Jersey, and 33 years with ADP Corporation at various locations with different positions throughout his tenure including Senior Director at Florham Park, NJ bringing Retirement Services to the internet and later a Chief Technology Architect in Enterprise Applications in Roseland, NJ. Before his retirement he also was Director of Technology Delivery at GalaxE.Solutions, Inc. However, clearly his retirement position as a Lecturing Professor in Computer Science at Old Dominion University was a role he held close to his heart. He loved teaching, and helping students to position themselves for success as they approached the end of schooling and the beginning of their professional paths. Tom was the very definition of a Renaissance Man: “a cultured man who is deeply educated, highly intelligent, and possesses a wide range of knowledge and proficiency in fields such as science, history, literature and the arts.” Ask him about any historical event, BC or AD, and the details would pour out-names, dates, places, personalities, and much more. He loved discussing all these subjects in deep detail with his close friends who are like-minded. Tom never forgot anything he read. Yet beyond history and books, his greatest love was his family, both those related by blood and more who were family by choice. He gave himself freely, fully, and without hesitation. Most people remember his warmth first—his deep brown eyes and devilish grin, fitting for a man who never stopped being a kid at heart. He loved to laugh and to make others laugh, whether by teasing, pulling pranks, or setting someone up mid-conversation. As the photos at his Celebration of Life will show, he was rarely without a big smile. Cooking, grilling, and butchering were how Tom expressed his love and if you refused his food, you refused his love. His passion led him to cure his own pancetta, bake all kinds of bread, make sausage and pasta from scratch, and grow herbs with abandon. As for the drinks, his membership in countless wine clubs say it all. Beyond his generosity and his cooking, Tom treasured travel; music of every kind, including playing one of his many guitars; sailing; fencing; and biking. Whether he was strumming a guitar, racing his 18-foot Kestrel to a first-place finish on the Great Lakes, or bareboat chartering a 50-foot sailboat in Croatia with his family, nothing could slow him down. With so many passions, he was eagerly looking forward to the next chapter of his life: living closer to the water, devoting more time to music, and traveling even farther. Whether on the beach or aboard a boat, his heart was full—and if you were by his side, you helped fill it.