Father Thomas E. Ploude, a retired educator and parish priest, died Dec. 30. He was 84 and had been a resident of St. Mary Catholic Home, Cherry Hill, since May 2013.
Father Ploude retired in 2004 after serving as pastor of St. Maurice Parish, Brooklawn, for 14 years. He also was pastor of St. Edward Parish, Pine Hill, 1986-90, and St. Catherine of Siena, Clayton, 1982-86.
Ordained May 16, 1964, Father Ploude joined the faculty of Wildwood Catholic High School in 1965. He was assigned to Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill, in 1970 and was named vice principal of St. James High School, Carneys Point, in 1975. He took over as principal of St. James the following year, and he served as principal of Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, 1978-81.
Father Ploude was parochial vicar of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Ocean City, 1964 and 1978-82, and served as parochial vicar in residence at several parishes while he worked in the field of Catholic education: St. Bartholomew Parish, Camden, 1964-65; St. Ann, Wildwood, 1965-69; St. John of God, North Cape May, 1969-70; St. Anthony, Waterford, 1970-71; Transfiguration, West Collingwood, 1971-75; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Woodlynne, 1975; St. Joseph, Swedesboro, 1975-76; Corpus Christie, Carneys Point, 1976-77; St. John, Paulsboro, 1977-78; and Our Lady Star of the Sea, Atlantic City, 1978.
Originally from Massachusetts, Father Ploude served in the U.S. Air Force before entering the seminary. He earned a master’s degree in political science from Villanova University and a master’s in divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington, N.J.
The Funeral Mass for Father Ploude will be held at Holy Angels Parish (St. Patrick Church), Woodbury, on Monday, Jan. 6, at 10 a.m. Burial will take place immediately following at Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Monroe Township, N.J.