Thomas Lawrence Krisko lived an adventure-filled life and passed away on Thursday, September 19th at age 39 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He was lovingly called Tom or Tommy by his family and friends or Big Rig by his brother.

Tom was born on February 18th, 1985, along with his twin sister Laura in Washington, Pennsylvania. He grew up exploring nature, waterskiing on their boat, and camping with his family. As a young boy and throughout his life, he thrived in nature. He was a Boy Scout throughout his childhood and earned the rank of Eagle Scout, which shows his determination and drive.

Tom attended Pitt University and graduated cum laude with degrees in English and History, along with a minor in Anthropology. He spent over 10 years with Devereux Behavioral Health, working in residential direct care and as a residential supervisor, supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their daily lives. Tom was especially gifted at managing behaviors and ensuring his clients had productive and fulfilling activities to improve their happiness. He returned to college while working full-time and graduated summa cum laude from West Chester University with a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2020. He moved to Georgia and worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) for 4 years with pre-kindergarten and elementary students. He loved his work as a Speech-Language Pathologist and was particularly skilled in understanding behaviors and considering the whole child. For instance, he coordinated supportive services like occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) to create a more comprehensive program.

Tom leaves behind his loving family, including his mom Kathleen (Trout) Krisko; sisters Jeanette Marin and Melanie (Molly) Regis and brother-in-law Kevin Regis; brother John Krisko and sister-in-law Janet Krisko; nieces and nephews Lucie, Claire, Noelle, Valeria, John (Jack), Luke, Eli, Peter, Lily, Nigel and Ezra. He is predeceased by his father John (Jack) Krisko; twin sister Laura; and brother-in-law Patrick.

Tom's adventurous spirit was evident in everything he did, including his love of travel. He was a skilled whitewater rafting guide and loved hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, and kayaking. He was passionate about environmental stewardship and shared this passion with youths through the Student Conservation Association, teaching youths how to protect and care for the great outdoors.

He volunteered in a shelter for women who suffered from domestic abuse and worked with adjudicated youth. Tom was an avid reader and life-long learner. He was pursuing learning Spanish for his recent trip to Puerto Rico and was able to use it to communicate with people during his travels.

To celebrate Tom's life, a memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 28th.  The viewing will be at 11:30 and the funeral mass will be held at 12:00 noon at St. Camillus Church - 1600 St Camillus Dr, Silver Spring, MD. This will be followed by the burial at All Souls Cemetery at 1:30 pm - 11401 Brink Road, Germantown, MD.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Student Conservation Association (SCA) or the National Parks Service (NPS) . Student Conservation Association  / National Park Service