Thomas L. Kaplin Jr. Obituary (1928 - 2019)

Thomas L. Kaplin Jr., born November 28, 1928, passed away on December 5, 2019. He is survived by his children, Jamie, Albuquerque, Trip, San Francisco and Adam, Columbus; sisters-in-law, Barbara Kaplin and Louise (Bobby) Higgins; nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Merilynn Kaplin; parents, Thomas and Gertrude Kaplin and brothers, Maury, Julian and Richard. If you are reading this and knew our Dad, you know how involved he was in the community. His focus was always on social justice and civil rights for everyone. That manifested itself as involvement in politics, in the Columbus City Council, Department of Parks and Recreation, the Jewish community, and many philanthropic actions. A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Monday, December 9 at Temple Israel, Jewish Community Center, 1125 College Ave. What 91 year old leaves this life with a full set of teeth, a magnificent head of hair, always with a smile on his face! A modified Shiva/Celebration of a long life lived with purpose and intention will be observed at 1 Miranova Pl. on Monday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Please stop by to celebrate Tommy’s incredible life. Let’s talk about him and laugh and be grateful we had him for so long! Charitable contributions can be made to the Temple Israel Social Action Fund in memory of Thomas Kaplin (It sends teens to DC to lobby for social justice issues that matter to the Reform Movement of Judaism) or the Merilynn and Thomas Kaplin, Jr. Endowment Fund of the Columbus Jewish Foundation, 1175 College Ave., Columbus, OH 43209 or, of course any charity of your own choosing.