Deacon Tomaso served St. Stephen the Martyr Parish

Deacon Paul Tomaso, who served St. Stephen the Martyr Parish in Omaha for 14 years, died March 5. He was 67.

Visitation will be March 8 starting at 5 p.m., with a 7 p.m. vigil service at St. Stephen the Martyr Church. A funeral Mass will be held March 9, 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment with military honors will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Omaha.

Deacon Tomaso was involved in liturgies, baptisms and catechetical ministries at the parish, said Father James Tiegs, pastor. A member of the Knights of Columbus, he also was active in the Boy Scouts, founding the parish's Boy Scout troop and Cub Scout pack, and serving as a leader.

Deacon Tomaso’s wife, Elizabeth, is the coordinator of catechesis and lifelong formation in the archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization and Catechesis and director of religious education at St. Mary Parish in Bellevue. Together, they also were involved in family life ministries and marriage preparation at St. Stephen and St. Mary parishes.

“To our parishioners, he was a faithful, loving servant who led by example,” Father Tiegs said. “His marriage and family were of vital importance to him, and his witness spoke to a lot of people.”

In addition to his wife, Deacon Tomaso is survived by children and their spouses, Lindsey Tomaso, Erin Tomaso-Smith and Adam Smith, Carl Tomaso, Christopher Tomaso, Keeley and Aaron Kozisek, Nicholas Tomaso, and Rachael Tomaso; three granddaughters; sister and brother-in-law, Flora and John Carman; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Johnnie and Patty Bruner, and Richard and Vicky Bruner; nieces and nephews.

Memorials are encouraged to the family, Boy Scouts, or St. Stephen the Martyr or St. Mary parishes.