Thomas J Koegel

Thomas James Koegel, a lifelong resident of Syracuse, New York, died peacefully in his sleep on August 13, 2026, at the age of 89.

Born and raised in Syracuse, Tom was the eighth of nine children of Fred and Agnes (Emerson) Koegel and the last surviving member of his family.

In the 1960s and 70s, Tom drove a bus for Centro, formerly Syracuse Transit, before pursuing his entrepreneurial ambitions and opening a used car business, which he operated throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He was later employed at Koerner Ford where he won numerous accolades and awards as Salesman of the Year. There he found both success and happiness until his retirement. Tom had an exceptional memory for the cars he sold and, even late in life, could recall many of them along with the personalities and particularities of their new owners.

Tom was an avid fisherman and boater. He spent many summer weekends on Oneida Lake fishing from his pontoon boat, as well as partaking in longer fishing expeditions to Canada. He was also a devoted dog lover who, with his wife Marjorie, cared for and raised many rescue dogs over the years.

Tom is survived by his two sons, Michael and Steven, his former wife, Agnes (Roberts) Koegel, several nieces and nephews, and his step-grandchildren.

He is predeceased by his wife Marjorie Koegel.

Visitation will be held Wednesday August 19, 2026, from 4pm to 6pm, at New Comer Cremations & Funerals, North Syracuse, NY.

There are no services planned at this time.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local animal shelter in honor of Tom.

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