Obituary of Dr. Tom Cavanaugh

Dr. Thomas “Tom” Cavanaugh Jr. September 13, 1936 – March 17, 2026 Dr. Thomas Paul Cavanaugh Jr., 89, of Valparaiso, passed peacefully on March 17, 2026–a fitting day for an Irishman.

Born in Chicago on September 13, 1936, Tom came from a family of dentists and made the profession his own. After earning his degree from Loyola School of Dentistry in 1963, he married the love of his life, Mary Arlene Hogan, and moved to Valparaiso — a city he would spend the next six decades pouring himself into.

He founded Orthodontics, Inc. and practiced for over forty years. Tom took to the skies as a private pilot in 1961 and in May 2011, the FAA honored him with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award—a rare honor given to those with fifty years of incident-free flying. He was a certified flight instructor who passed his love of aviation to both of his sons and his grandson Trevor.

In 1992, he and his son Brad co-founded AirOne Aerial Photography, capturing the world below from angles some never have the privilege to see. His service extended well beyond his practice. He served as President of the Loyola Orthodontic Foundation, on the American Board of Orthodontics, and as an orthodontic instructor traveling overseas in the early years of his career to teach the treatment to a continent in the early days of embracing the specialty.

He was also a board member of the Valparaiso Family YMCA and served on the school board of St. Paul School. He and Arlene raised five children in Valparaiso. Near the end, he reflected simply: “For my wife Arlene and I, it’s been a great 62 years.”

Tom is survived by his beloved wife and “the most beautiful bride”, Mary Arlene; his sons Bradford (Kitty) Cavanaugh and Robert (Heather) Cavanaugh, both of Valparaiso; his daughters Natalie (Chris) Mahlmann of Valparaiso, Rory (David) O’Brochta of Lemont, IL, and Courtney (Dave) Fleming of Raleigh, NC; his sisters Lyn Stein, Betsy Ruel, and Patti (Tom) Piasecki; 21 grandchildren: Christopher Mahlmann, Nicole (Luke) Brauweiler, Peyton Mahlmann, Trevor (Reagan) Mahlmann, Marissa, Sarah, and Sophia Cavanaugh, Samantha (Thomas) Fox, Matthew, Thomas, Brady, and Rebecca Cavanaugh, Jacqueline, Lauren, and Kathryn O’Brochta, and Cormac, Lillian, and Gus Fleming; and 3 great-grandchildren: Hailey, McKenna, and Connor Brauweiler. They all brought such incredible joy to his life. He was preceded in death by his parents Tom and Ann Cavanaugh, his sister Carol Gorbett, and his brother Richard Cavanaugh.

Visitation will be held Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, Valparaiso, with a Funeral Mass at 12:00 p.m., officiated by Father Douglas Mayer. Burial and interment will follow at St. Paul Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. Bartholomew Funeral Home is leading arrangements and preparations.

He’s free as a bird now, and he’s flying just as high.