Mario Tama Jr.

Mario Tama, Jr., age 83, peacefully passed away on June 14, 2024, at UMSMC (Easton Hospital) in Easton, MD. He died from congestive heart failure. Mario was born in 1941, the son of the late Mario and Maria Tama, and the oldest of two children. He spent his formative years in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, where he learned to play ice hockey and ski, as well as sail on the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay with his family. He graduated from Pennsbury High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1959, where he was a star football player. He attended Cornell University and later graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass., with a degree in mechanical engineering. He served in the U.S Army Reserves during the Vietnam War era. Mario worked for the U.S Department of the Navy as a civilian engineer for more than 30 years in various positions including research and development and construction management. He met his wife Elaine when they were both living in Washington, D.C. and working for the federal government, and they were married in 1970. They had two sons, Mario and Jason, who fondly remember many exciting and fulfilling experiences with their father, including skiing, biking, hiking, boating, and travelling. Mario loved sharing narratives about local history, architecture, geography, and geology during family trips. Mario loved travelling anywhere in the U.S., including trips out West and to New England. He loved art and architecture, and often designed and built home additions and renovations, drawing up plans “the old-fashioned way”, using traditional drafting tools. Mario was an active parent volunteer, including serving as Scoutmaster of Troop 240 in Bethesda, Md, where he enjoyed mentoring kids and shaping them into strong, young leaders. Mario and Elaine raised their children in Cabin John, MD, and retired to Easton in 2011. Mario is survived by his beloved wife Elaine, two sons, Mario Tama III and his wife Kiruthi of Los Angeles, and Rear Admiral Jason Tama, USCG, and his wife Sarah, of Bethesda, Maryland, and granddaughters Charlotte and Norah. He is also survived by his brother, G. Pedro Tama and his wife, Jane, who reside in Hawaii. A commemorative service will take place at Third Haven Meeting House in Easton, MD, on Saturday, June 22nd, at noon. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shore Rivers (114 S. Washington St., Easton, MD 21601) or the Sierra Club Maryland (P.O. Box 278, Riverdale, Maryland 20738).

Mario Tama Jr.

April 16, 1941 - June 14, 2024