We know him, we love him.....Meet Tom Droege!   I have been waiting to sit and talk with this man since I started this project, and he did not disappoint! 

 

Tom's Mom and Dad are both first-generation Americans....Tom's Mom's family immigrated from San Marino, Italy, and Tom's Dad immigrated from Germany.....In a twist of fate, Tom's Dad was born in the USA....they went back to Germany for a short time, and then came back to the US, landing in beautiful, picturesque Camden, NJ....eventually moving to a farm behind the old Lakeside Inn.  Tom and his family lived on Ferndale Lane and went through the Spring-Ford School District.

 

Tom describes a family with two sisters, where everyone got along....and speaks with affection about his Dad and his Grandfather....He learned a lot from both men....he was surrounded by German conversations within the family...both men were mechanically inclined and had a love of engineering...Tom and his Dad built their first computer together with a Heath kit...Tom's Dad is an only child, Tom being the only son made for a very special relationship with the threesome.   When Tom was in his teens, unfortunately, his Grandfather passed away.

 

Tom went to college at Gwynedd Mercy, at a time when Apple and Microsoft were in their infancy....one of the night professors in the computer lab and Tom worked so well together, they started the business in 1986, which is now Ridge Support Technologies to this day.   Today, Ridge Support Technologies provides technical support specializing in government, police, and fire companies.

 

In 1996, another monumental event happened....he went on a blind date with the lovely Rita, his future bride.   For their first date, they went to the Reading Phil's....just to give you boys and girls an idea of prices in our day....the tickets were $20 for all 4!!!!!  They dated for a while and then got engaged at Covata's, the old Brinton Lodge.  Rita is of Irish, German, and Pennsylvania Dutch descent....and she was the youngest of seven children......After they got married, they lived at Rita's parents' home on Gehringer Road in Boyertown for several years....Rita worked for Ken Nyce as a paralegal for a while....but, once the kids were born, both Tom and Rita decided that Rita would stay home and raise the children.   They currently live in the Boyertown area.

 

Rita is a homebody and Tom is a Type A personality.....they have a really strong marriage...They have three children together....Thomas, who is 25 years old, a Penn State graduate, who now works with Tom at Ridge Technologies.  Megan, who is 23, is a graduate of Cabrini, and is now a kindergarten teacher at Spring City Elementary....Abbey is 18 and a Senior at Boyertown High....Tom has traveled to Spain with Megan and had a wonderful time....Rita and Tom are both traveling to England with Abbey and are looking forward to it.   Rita is also very involved with Abbey's post-prom event.....

 

Tom has been in Rotary for 30 years and was a past President in the centennial year...He is on the Advisory Board for the Boyertown YMCA.  He has been involved in the boy scouts with his son and carried it on after his son finished since he was still needed in the organization.   He started the TSA at Boyertown West (a program for tech students) where he and the students were involved in local "tech" competitions.   Tom and Rita also belong to St. Columbkill Church.

 

Tom, thank you again for spending time with me.   And, I celebrate your life being full of love and cooperation and caring.....you, Tom, are a lucky guy!