Sakal, Thomas Joseph Passed away Saturday October 6, in Palm Harbor, FL at the age of 72. He was born in Aliquippa, PA on February 21, 1946 and is preceded in death by his parents, John Sakal and Mary (DeBosh) Sakal and brothers, John and Frank Sakal. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary (Paulson) Sakal and sister, MaryAnn (Sakal) DeFelice and numerous nieces and nephews. He graduated from Aliquippa HS where he played football and basketball. On scholarship to the University Of Minnesota, he was Captain of their last Big Ten championship team in 1967. He won MVP, all big Ten, honorable mention All American, played in the Blue Gray Game and Hula Bowl and inducted was into the Beaver Valley Hall of Fame. He was a 1968 10th round draft of the Minnesota Vikings and was with the team until he was drafted by The Army and sent to Vietnam in 1969 as a combat soldier and then was honorably discharged. His career evolved to the insurance industry and he became an executive with Allstate in the US and internationally with AIG in Southeast Asia as a VP and as CEO and President of Prudential of Thailand where he was listed in Who Who World Wide and Intergobal Who's Who before retiring in 2003 to Florida where he enjoyed golfing and traveling. He will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery with arrangements pending. In Lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The Gary Sinese Foundation or the Fisher House.

Published on October 12, 2018