Captain (Ret.) Thomas P. Ziemba, Psp

Captain (Ret.) Thomas Ziemba, PSP, 92, of Palmyra, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 23, 2025. He was born on October 13, 1932 in Wilkes Barre, PA, the third of seven children to the late George and Mary E. (Borowski) Ziemba. He is survived by his loving wife, of 66 years, Alice (Baird) Ziemba.

Thomas is a proud Navy veteran who then served 36 years with the Pennsylvania State Police. While he was retired, he was always a Trooper. Thomas graduated from Plains High School, in the Navy he served four years in Texas and Germany as a cryptographer to special forces in USAR. Upon discharge he enlisted in the PA State Police for a two-year term when only single men were accepted, and he lived in the barracks and worked six days a week. His first assignment was the Lancaster Troop to a newly formed PSP Narcotics Unit and was one of the first Youth Aid Officers. He attended night school and obtained a degree in Criminology. In 1976 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

In 1988 he was promoted to Captain and transferred to the Bureau of Community Services as one of the PSP’s first juvenile officers in the state. As the program gained success, he was named PSP’s coordinator for the newly established Commercial Driver’s license program (CDL). Under his direction a computerized commercial appointment system was established. 250 PSP and civilian personal were trained as examiners and 20 testing sites across the state became operational. He then retired in 1992 as a Captain.

As a second career, Thomas joined UBA a fire and explosive investigation firm in Harrisburg as the Client Services Coordinator. Still maintaining an interest in the PSP, he engaged the help of Lt. Governor Katherine Baker-Knoll to obtain a PA historical marker at the site of the first training school on Cocoa Ave., Hershey. In 2005 he finally received approval from the PA Historical and Museum committee to establish the site of the first and oldest training school of uniformed police forces in the USA. At the ceremony on September 8, 2005 were Lt. Governor Baker-Knoll, Congressman Tim Holden, PSP Commissioner Jeffrey Miller, a full cadet class and Derry Township officials. This school served the PSP for 36 years until a new building was built on the present site. PSP is the oldest uniformed force in the USA.  Most importantly he was a loving husband, Father, and Grandfather who enjoyed attending his grandson’s ice hockey games. He also enjoyed almost daily round of golf at the Hershey County Club telling anyone who asked the many stories of a 36-year career in the PSP where he was proud to have served, honorably.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Thomas Ziemba, Jr., and wife Vicki, of Houston, TX and Robert Ziemba and wife Janet, of Palmyra; grandchildren, Kyle Thomas Ziemba and Kennedy Marie Ziemba.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 31, 2025 at 11 AM at Rothermel-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 25 W. Pine St., Palmyra, PA 17078. A time of visitation will be from 10 AM until the start of the service at 11 AM. Burial will follow the service at 2:30 PM at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, with full military honors.

Flowers or a memorial contribution can be made in his memory to the Pennsylvania State Police Museum, 187 Hersheypark Dr., Hershey, PA 17033.