Tributes pour in for Toft

SANDUSKY — Community members mourned a longtime local funeral home fixture who dedicated his life to helping so many who grieved the losses of loved ones. John "Jack" Toft, 91, passed away on Thursday — and he was still working at Toft Funeral Home & Crematory in Sandusky. "Work was who he was, and we firmly believe that he died a happy man," the funeral home stated in its social media post, which announced his death. "He is surrounded by love from his family, and our funeral home community that has grown to know him." Those who worked with Toft described him as a "Jack of all trades" and the "company grandpa." Toft was born in Sandusky on May 17, 1934, to the late John and Esther (Windbeahl) Toft, Sr., his obituary states. He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, a beloved father, husband and brother as well as an avid fan of Cleveland sports and The Ohio State University Buckeyes. It additionally states: Jack was employed by Spoerr Precast Concrete for 37 years. He was hired by F. Leo Groff to run ambulance, and he became a valued member of the funeral team. Jack always held fond memories of his time spent with Leo. It was Jack's work with vaults and in the funeral home that inspired the current generations of the family at Toft Funeral Home & Crematory. He was proud to work alongside his son, Steve, at their funeral home when it opened in 1993. He lived and breathed the funeral home, and he went out the way he would have wanted, working at the funeral home. Toft is survived by his wife of 72 years, Alma Lou (Pocock) Toft; children, Kris (James) Stradtman, Mike (Barb) Toft, Betty Schwiefert, Steve (Jeannie Schwartz) Toft and Kim (David) Corrado; along with many others, his obituary states. Friends may call from 10 a.m. and funeral services will follow at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 2 in Toft Funeral Home & Crematory, 2001 Columbus Ave., Sandusky. Burial will be in Meadow Green Memorial Park. Community offers sympathies Several community members shared their condolences for the family: • "Oh Jack, you sure put your mark on many people, including mine. I enjoyed you coming into the office, and we would have a good time talking about many different things and you will be sadly missed. Condolences to the family," — Denise Brown Brownell • "So sad to hear this. Your family has been such (a) blessing and so professional in the most difficult times. May God comfort your family during this difficult time." — Shellece Jones-Hankerson • "You only have to read a few of the hundreds of these condolences to know that this man was truly loved and made a difference in people's lives. My heart goes out to all of you at this sad time." — Carol Collins. Bio blast Information on Toft Funeral Home's website includes background information on Jack Toft and how the funeral home came to be: The Toft family has been in funeral service for over 70 years. Jack Toft began working for Spoerr Vault Co. in 1953. He also worked after hours as an ambulance driver and funeral home staff member. He often took his sons, Mike and Steve, on funeral services during the summer months. Steve loved what he saw. He pursued his calling, graduating from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1985. After serving as a funeral director and embalmer for several years, he saw the need for a funeral home that exceeded expectations through superior service. With the mission to be the most family-oriented funeral home in our area, an extensive renovation project took place to remodel the former Andres-Tucker Funeral Home, located at 2001 Columbus Ave. Andres-Toft Funeral Home was opened in 1993 and included Sandusky's only on-site cremation facility. The name was changed to Toft Funeral Home & Crematory in 1998, and the main funeral home building was expanded and remodeled in 2000 to its current size. Justin Toft joined in September of 2011, marking the third generation of the Toft family in funeral service. Ground was broken in 2013, and the Toft Event Room debuted in May of 2014. The Toft Event Room is a 1,500 square-foot event space, available for receptions, memorial services, celebrations of life or whatever a family may envision. In late summer 2022, Toft purchased the buildings and businesses of Morman Funeral Home and Morman-Hinman Funeral Home in Wakeman and Berlin Heights, respectively. This expanded our reach of service to cover the better part of the Firelands Area. Our work family also grew, and we are proud to employ people with heart and compassion for the communities we serve. Toft serves Erie and Huron counties, the Lake Erie Islands and surrounding communities. We can help you with all of your burial, cremation, cemetery and after-funeral needs. Importantly, we continue to operate our own on-site crematory facility. This means your loved one never has to leave our care. As an industry, funeral service is dynamic. We are constantly striving to improve our facilities and service, and Toft Funeral Home & Crematory will always be focused on the families we serve.