Thomas A. Ronca

Thomas A. Ronca, a lifelong resident of Dunellen, passed away on May 29, 2023, at the age of 73.

Thomas was born in Bound Brook, NJ to Rocco and Anne Ronca on September 17, 1949. He attended Dunellen Public Schools and graduated in 1968. He is a Veteran of the United States Army. At the time of his retirement, he had spent 35 dedicated years as a supervisor for NJ Transit Rail. 

Tommy was a die-hard car fanatic through and through. He became fascinated with the racing world at a young age. At 14 years old, Tommy was frequenting the races with his older brother, Bill. If Bill was going to the races, so was Tommy - that’s just the way it was. When Tommy was 16 years old, he and his brother were given a car. Not just any car, but a car that would go on to make history and have countless Junior Stock success stories. They worked on it together for countless hours over the years. It’s name - Moonshine. Their budget built, N/S 1956 Chevrolet collected national records and class wins throughout the latter half of the 1960’s. In the swampy summer of 1970, The Ronca Bros. & Moonshine raced their way to victory in the Indy Nationals - the biggest race you could ever want to win in drag racing! In his retirement, Tommy enjoyed many opportunities to relive his glory days as he drag raced Moonshine at several speedways in its restored condition. He frequented car shows and Nostalgia meet-ups and enjoyed the fellowship and comradery of his racing buddies.

Racing took a back seat as Tom settled down to raise a family. He was a simple man who enjoyed eating supper with his family every night after a long day of work and tinkering away in the garage in his downtime. The nearest and dearest memory for all members of the family was their annual trip to Knoebles. Family meant everything to Tom and the time spent making memories for his children as well as the lessons he passed down to them will forever be his greatest legacy. Whether it be in the pit with the go-karts, casting a line, having a catch in the backyard, woodworking in the shop, or under the hood of one of his kid’s cars, there was always something to be learned. His children were always welcomed to lean on him and they always looked up to him, as he had a solution for every problem with endless love and encouragement to offer.

He was a sweet guy, a devoted friend & dependable neighbor, a hard worker, and lived with the finest morals and values that a man could have. 

Tom is preceded in death by his wife of 26 years, Mary Theresa Ronca; his son, William Francis Ronca; his parents Rocco William & Anne Emma Ronca; and his brother William F. Ronca.

He is survived by his daughters, Kelly Ann, of Bedminster; Carly Marie, of Mt. Pocono, PA; his sister, Joanne White, of Bantam, CT; and his wife Nedelka, of Middlesex. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews who have the fondest memories of quality time spent with their Uncle Tom.

Friends may visit the family on Monday, June 5 from 4:00-8:00pm at the Sheenan Funeral Home in Dunellen. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 6 at 10:00am at St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church in Dunellen with burial to follow at Resurrection Burial Park in Piscataway.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Thomas A. Ronca, please visit our floral store.