Thomas Vaughn Pastorius, 67, of Sewickley Borough, died on Thursday, Sept. 6, while surrounded by his family.

The founder of the Pennsylvania Brewing Company (or Penn Brewery) in 1986, where he served as the company's president and CEO until July 2010, Pastorius was a pioneer of the craft brewing movement and was proud to be known as "Mr. Beer" while winning numerous national and international awards.

Pastorius was born in Pittsburgh on Sept. 22, 1944, the son of the late James G. and Ruth Edwards Pastorius. A graduate of Baldwin High School, where he was a bagpiper for the Baldwin High marching band, Tom earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and was a member of the varsity swimming team there.

He received a Master of Business Administration degree from Penn State University following service as a 1st and 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army 8th Infantry Division in Germany from 1966-69.

Tom was a member of The Presbyterian Church of Sewickley, the Edgeworth Club, the Sewickley Valley Historical Society, the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation and German-American organizations throughout Pennsylvania.

The loving husband of Mary Beth (Morgan) Pastorius and proud father of two sons—Thomas Jr. (Felice) of Brooklyn, NY, and Franz Daniel of Munich, Germany—was also survived by his brother James G. Pastorius Jr. (Ruth Ann) and his niece Charlotte Pastorius, of Butler County.

Friends will be received at Copeland Funeral Home, 702 Beaver St., Sewickley, PA, on Monday, Sept. 10, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.

A memorial service is  planned for 1 p.m. on Tuesday at The Presbyterian Church of Sewickley, 414 Grant St., 15143.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Music Fund of The Presbyterian Church of Sewickley, or The Pastorius Home Association, P.O. Box 66, Germansville, PA 18053.

This article originally appeared on the Sewickley Patch.

 ---

Follow the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch on Facebook and Twitter.

Sign up for the daily Baldwin-Whitehall newsletter.