Tom D. Brovont, of Rochester, died at the age of 73 on Sunday, July 14, at home. The industrial arts teacher, coach and esteemed builder, developer and entrepreneur died after a 19-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Born Aug. 7, 1939, in Frankfort, to Roy D. and Betty Douglas Brovont, he graduated from Sweetser High School in 1957 and then from Ball State University earning a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology and later his master's degree in the arts of education. He married Martha Jean Dugdale on Jan. 14, 1961, in Muncie. Tom and Martha had three children, Jeffrey R., Julia K. and Douglas J.. Martha passed away March 6, 1987, after 26 years of marriage. After moving to Rochester, Tom began his 26-year teaching and coaching career in the fall of 1963 at Richland Center High School, where he taught industrial arts and physical education and coached boys basketball and track. He joined Rochester Community Schools in 1965, when the two Fulton County school systems consolidated. At Rochester Schools he taught industrial arts and was a track coach, assistant football coach and freshman, junior varsity and varsity basketball coach. Early in his career, Tom's building trades class constructed the original administration building, and then, in 2011, he was a participating contractor when it was remodeled. He was the Rochester Middle School athletic director when he retired, in 1989. His work ethic, vision and goal setting earned respect from his students, co-workers, fellow teachers, and athletes and led to many lasting friendships. In 1973, Tom joined with fellow Rochester teacher, Marvin Overmyer, to form Brovont & Overmyer Construction. In the spring of 1974 the company repaired many of the tornado ravaged homes in the Rochester area. When not teaching or coaching, they worked evenings, weekends, summers and most school breaks on many homes around Fulton County. During these years, they also developed Spear Street and Court Street in Manitou Heights addition. In 1995, Tom started Tom Brovont & Son Builders and Developers and proceeded to build numerous custom homes in the local five-county area. Tom was the driving force in many housing developments, the most visible of which is Wynnfield Crossing Assisted Living in Rochester. His other developments include Waterside condominiums, Waterside South duplexes, Wayland Place duplexes, The Meadows subdivision, Hawthorne Ridge Apartments, Green Tree Apartments, Orchard Villas, Manitou Heights' Lincoln and Arthur streets, all of Rochester; Riverwood of Winamac; Blackberry Trace subdivision, Barrington Hills and Harbor Shores Condominiums on Winona Lake in the Warsaw area; Waterford Crossing Assisted Living in Goshen; and Maplecrest Assisted Living in Bluffton, Ohio. On Oct. 19, 2002, Tom married Rebecca Moss, and became stepfather to Sarah, Gretchen and Adam. Tom was an active member of the Kosciusko/Fulton County Builders Association. He served as president and was an active member of the board of directors. He always looked forward to the Coats for Kids project, when he personally delivered coats to needy school children. Between 1991 and 2005 Tom built custom homes for the annual Homes on Parade event. He was a charter member of the Rochester Optimist Club and a member of the Grace United Methodist Church and the Indiana Homebuilders Association, for which he recruited numerous new members over the years. He served on the Fulton County Public Library board of directors from 1986 to 2001 and the Fulton County Council from 1995 to 1999. He enjoyed the daily crossword puzzle, reading, attending his granddaughters' tennis matches and spending time with family at Lake Maxinkuckee. He liked to travel, including trips to Europe, Africa and Canada, and especially to Charleston, S.C., and Washington, D.C.. No matter how you knew Tom, whether as family member, friend, teacher, coach, builder, everyone knew him to be tender, generous, kind hearted, optimistic, loving and understanding. His gentle sense of humor can be summed up this way, "The only thing more beautiful than a hundred acre of corn is a new house going up with a 12/12 pitch" Tom is survived by his wife, Rebecca Brovont; mother Betty Brovont of Rochester; sons Jeffrey Roy Brovont of Lafayette, Douglas J. Brovont of Rochester; stepchildren Sarah Fischer of Denver, Colo., Gretchen Speidel and husband Jason of Brooklyn, Mich., Adam Fischer of Louisville, Ky.; grandchildren Martha Brianne Lewis, Greg Ryne Lewis and Madalyn Nicole Lewis, all of Rochester; three step-granddaughters; sisters Jennifer Brinker and husband Larry of Ramona, Calif., Jill Kimbrough and husband Phil of Lake Arrowhead, Calif.; and former son-in-law Bryan Lewis of Rochester. He was preceded in death by Martha on March 5, 1987, his father on Jan. 29, 1995, and daughter Julia "Kim" Lewis on Nov. 7, 2003. Rev. Linda Sue Hewitt will officiate services. Burial will be private in IOOF Cemetery.