Thomas E. Deitzler Jr.

Thomas E. Deitzler, Jr. of Lebanon, born on May 10, 1951, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, August 8, 2019, surrounded by his family and friends. He was the son of Thomas Sr. and Grace (Stonebreaker) Deitzler. He is survived by his loving wife Linda (Byers) Deitzler; son Thomas Deitzler III and wife Susan, of Lebanon; daughters Michelle Kelley of Elizabethtown and Annette Handley of Hummelstown, and grandchildren Brett, Samantha, Jenna, Haley, Bella, Breanna and Harper.
As a person in long term recovery, Tom recognized the importance of giving back. Tom has been in the field of substance abuse treatment for over 25 years. For nearly ten years, he was the Clinical Director of the Teen and Young Adult Programs at the Caron Treatment Centers, where he is credited for having an integral role in the development of the industry-leading Young Adult Male Treatment Program. He was known for his creativeness in treatment planning and most recently developed a pet therapy program at Caron which has become a vital component within the teen and young adult patient populations. As the Senior Clinical Advisor to the EVP of Treatment at Caron, Tom served as an interventionist and managed cases both pre and post treatment. He also maintained a presence in the domain of public speaking as it related to teen, young adult and adult treatment and recovery. He greatly valued speaking to groups of families and was often asked to go and share his experience, strength and hope. He holds several credentials including CADC, CIP, CCJP, CCDP and CCS and was awarded the 2009 Certified Professional of the Year by the Pennsylvania Certification Board for outstanding contributions to the service in the field of chemical dependency treatment. In 1998, Tom received a Graduate Certification from the Pennsylvania State University’s Graduate School of Psychology. At the time of his passing, Tom was serving on the Lebanon County Heroin Task Force and the Board of Directors of Lebanon County Drug and Alcohol Commission. He was also a guest lecturer at Lebanon Valley College’s school of Psychology and Social Work and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center’s School of Psychiatry. Through Tom’s relentless drive to take care of patients and his incredible generosity of spirit, he touched countless lives.
Tom was a member of the Evangelical Free Church of Hershey. He was a member of the Penn State Alumni Association. He coached Teener and Legion baseball teams. His passions included golf, cooking, trying new restaurants and bringing a sense of humor to any situation. He was an ardent and dedicated fan of Penn State sports, Boston sports and the New England Patriots. There was nothing that brought him greater joy than his dogs Soxxie, Fenway (his therapy dog), Brady and Ella.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, August 16, 2019 at the Evangelical Free Church of Hershey at 330 Hilltop Rd. Hummelstown, PA 17036. There will be visitation from 10am – 11am.
In an effort to carry on the love and passion that Tom had for helping young people find their way to recovery, in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Caron Treatment Centers in memory of Tom Deitzler at PO Box 150, Wernesville, PA. 19608.
Arrangements entrusted to Porterfield-Scheid Funeral Directors & Cremation Services, Ltd, Lebanon. To share on line condolences please visit www.porterfieldscheidfh.com