Thomas A. Greenlee

Thomas A. Greenlee, AGE 84, of Eau Claire passed away October 22, 2015 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire. He was born January 18, 1931 in Wausau to Wayne Ardath and Lenore L. (Schwab) Greenlee. He graduated from St. Paul’s Grade School in 1945, Bloomer High School in 1949 and served in Korea in the Air Force from 1950 – 1954 as a medic in the Rescue and Air Evacuation unit. He married Marianna Meyers on August 23, 1958 in Eau Claire WI and received his Bachelor of Science Degree and Teacher’s certificate from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire in 1959. He worked as a livestock feed salesman and owned a feed mill and mineral plant in Shawano. He taught grade school at Holy Family in Bayfield, High school at the Menominee Indian School in Keshena, and College at Fox Valley in Appleton and Northeast Technical CC in Norfolk, NE. He was a member of the KC’s, American Legion, Toastmasters, Air Rescue Association and Air Evacuation Association. He and Marianna volunteered for Christian Appalachian Project in Kentucky, Community outreach on Johns Island SC, Focus on the Family in Colorado and as prison ministers at Jackson Correctional Institute in Wisconsin. He was a Benedictine Oblate with St Benedicts Monastery, St. Joseph, MN and was proud of his four-year bible study with the Lacrosse Diocese.

Tom, Grandpa, Dad loved to ski, sail, golf and fly his Cessna 150. He loved to make Malted Milks – a trade he learned in High School at Dettloff’s Drugstore in Bloomer. He loved bubblegum and Juicy Fruit, and ice cream. He loved to pull balloons out of our ears. He loved the Packers “Just run the ball” and was a lifetime member of the Packers Hall of Fame. He loved Johnny Carson, Bob Newhart and MASH – “the TV show, not the movie”. He danced and sang, played harmonica, skated and shot buckets and coached little league. All his children and pets recognized his whistle and came running. He made two violins. He was a lector and Eucharistic minister at church, taught 4H and scouts, He loved opera, big band jazz, church hymns, Chicago, Neil Diamond, Eagles, and the Doors, but was “not a big fan of Bartok”. He was great at untangling jewelry and rosaries. He could fix anything. He was extremely proud of his children and grandchildren. He always bought flowers and said “I love you”. He was a true “gentleman and a scholar” and will be dearly missed by many.

He is survived by his wife: Marianna of Eau Claire; sons: Gavin (Tammy) of Platteville WI, Peter (Susan Sayers) of Duluth MN, and Geol of Knoxville TN; daughters: Neri (Tony) Wilkerson of Decorah IA and Nori (Ross) Hadley of Decorah IA ; sisters: Janis Lee of Brooklyn Park MN and Bette Roberts of Holcombe WI; numerous grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents: “Art” and Lenore Greenlee; son: Thomas D. Greenlee and brother: Jerrold Greenlee.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, October 26, 2015 at 10:00 AM at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Bloomer. Following the lunch, burial will take place at Calvary Church Cemetery in Bayfield, WI with military graveside rites performed by the Apostle Island Honor Guard. Friends may call from 4:00 – 6:00 on Sunday at the Olson Funeral Home in Bloomer. Rosary recited at 4:30.