Thomas Anthony "Tommy" Groom

Thomas Anthony “Tommy” Groom, passed away on June 11, 2026, at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., one day before his 70th birthday.

He was born on June 12, 1956, in Washington, D.C., to Joyce Marie (Greene) and Harold Joseph Groom. Tommy grew up in Southeast D.C. and Morningside, Maryland, where he attended Catholic school and served as an altar assistant at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church on Pennsylvania Avenue. He was a student at Benjamin D. Foulois through junior high, then Crossland High School. He went on to serve his community for over fifty years as a life member of Morningside Volunteer Fire Department, Prince George’s County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, the Maryland State Firefighter’s association, and as a federal firefighter at the National Naval Medical Center—now known as Walter Reed—in Bethesda, Maryland. Tommy, affectionately known by his peers in the department as “Thumper,” always enjoyed attending the Firefighter’s Conventions in Ocean City. He also liked classic cars, playing the slot machines, and was a skilled mechanic and handyman; if it was broken, he could fix it.

Tommy is survived by his sisters, Mary Elizabeth Parks of Whaleyville, and Ann Marie Groom of Morningside. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jerry Michael Groom, and by his parents, Harold, and Joyce Groom.

A celebration of Tommy’s life will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2026, from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. at the American Legion, Post 238, 6265 Brandywine Rd, Hughesville, MD, 20637.

In lieu of flowers please make a charitable donation to the American Heart Association or St. Jude.