Thomas "Tom" Conrad Eldringhoff, Jr.

Thomas “Tom” Conrad Eldringhoff, Jr., 90, passed away peacefully April 19^th at home, having been surrounded by family in his last few days, as was his wish. 

A resident of Ocean Springs for 51 years, he was born in Kansas City, MO on July 30, 1931, to Thomas and Mary “Mernie” Eldringhoff. He graduated from Rockhurst High School and Rockhurst College and spent 4 years in the U.S. Navy, mostly in Hawaii, serving as a yeoman on the CINPAC admiral’s staff and developing a lifelong love of golf.   Tom worked in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and St. Louis before an opportunity arose on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1971, when he and his family moved to Ocean Springs.  Tom worked primarily in subcontract work, purchasing systems used in the ships built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.  He retired from Data Systems in 1996. Tom married the love of his life, LaRue Ottman Eldringhoff on Nov. 14, 1959 and celebrated 61 years of marriage in 2020. 

A lifelong Catholic, Tom was a faithful parishioner at St. Alphonsus and St. Elizabeth Seton churches. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather (named “Big Pop” by Andy’s children), and great-grandfather.  Tom was an avid golfer for most of his life and spent hundreds of weekend afternoons enjoying watching the sport with whomever happened to be home.  He loved to piddle around in his shed, emulating his own father with his penchant for improvising fixes for whatever happened to go wrong with a car or the house.  His chief joy, though, was always visits from his family.   After retirement, Tom and LaRue spent 15 years as dedicated volunteers for at the St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy in Biloxi.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Teresa Grabowski; and his wife. 

He is survived by his three children, Thomas Walter Eldringhoff (Crystal), Kathryn Ann O’Sullivan (Kevin), and Andrew Joseph Eldringhoff (Catherine); grandchildren, Ashley Elizabeth Barber (Peyton), Rebecca Ann Eldringhoff, Mallory Rose O’Sullivan (Brandon Woolsey), Cormac Thomas O’Sullivan, Kathleen Theresa O’Sullivan, Caroline Rose Eldringhoff, Thomas Andrew Augustus Eldringhoff, and Henry James Eldringhoff; great-grandchildren, Theodore Quinn Barber and Wesley Hayes Barber; and many loving nieces and nephews, and cousins.

The family would like to thank the devoted staff of Notre Dame Hospice for the peace they brought to Tom and his family in his last days, in particular nurses Gail Dehghani-Sanich, Christine Wallace, their aid Tammy, and all the staff the family welcomed into their home.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy by clicking the following link: St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy Donations.

A memorial mass and celebration of life will take place July 8th at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Ocean Springs, with a 10:00 a.m. visitation and 10:30 a.m. mass.  Following that, his remains will be laid to rest at the Biloxi National Cemetery.

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, Ocean Springs is honored to serve the family of Mr. Tom Eldringhoff.