Thomas John "Tom" Heinowski passed away peacefully at home in Rochester, Minnesota, with his family on May 6, 2024, at the age of 86 after a nearly six-year battle with cancer, Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Tom was born in Lansing, Michigan, on June 8, 1937, to the late Carl and Helen (Banhagel) Heinowski. Tom has five siblings and spent his entire childhood in Lansing, Michigan, living in the same house until his family moved only two blocks away. Tom attended Resurrection Catholic School from grade school until he graduated in 1955. After graduation, Tom attended Michigan State University. Tom served two years in the U. S. Army and was deployed to Germany as a Marksman. After his discharge in 1959, Tom returned to Lansing and continued his studies at Michigan State University.
Tom met Judy (Judith) Beissel in 1959 while singing in the St. John Catholic Church choir in East Lansing located near the Michigan State campus. Tom received his bachelor's degree in Lumber and Building Materials Merchandising from Michigan State in 1961. After graduation, Tom moved to New Orleans, Louisianna, to work for six months at the headquarters of Southern Pine Association before moving to their Washington D.C. office.
On July 20, 1963, Tom married Judy in Concord, Michigan, at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church, where Judy's parents were founding members. An eclipse of the sun happened during their wedding reception. The couple had just moved to Alexandria Virginia when Martin Luther King delivered his 'I have a Dream' speech on August 28, 1963. In November, they attended the burial of President John F. Kennedy in nearby Arlington, Virginia.
The couple moved back to Michigan in 1964 to join the Beissel family business in Concord, Michigan, and welcomed their first child, Jill Marie, in 1965. A few months later, Tom started a new job in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, which marked the beginning of their moves throughout the country. They bought a house that was built in 1787 and welcomed their second child Karen Margaret in 1966 and their third child Mark Thomas in 1967.
The young family moved to Kalkaska, Michigan. They moved to Gaylord, Michigan and watched the first man land on the moon on their 6th Wedding Anniversary, July 20, 1969. They lived in Gaylord for the next ten years where Tom worked as the Sales Manager at Champion Building Products. Tom and his family spent four summers in Houghton, Michigan, where he was enrolled in the Executive MBA program at Michigan Technological University. In 1979, Tom was transferred to the Office Products Division of Champion International in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tom then worked as President of Viking Pallet in Fridley, Minnesota. In 1983, Tom took a new position as General Manager of Nepa Pallet and Container Company, in Snohomish, Washington. In 1985, Tom moved back to Lansing where he worked as President of Capitol City Lumber. In 1989, Tom and Judy purchased a True Value Hardware store in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and then opened a second hardware store in Okemos, Michigan. In 1991, they started a business called Kitchen's and Brass located on Michigan Avenue in Lansing only 4 blocks away from where Tom grew up.
In 1997, Tom and Judy relocated their Kitchen's and Brass business to Mantorville, Minnesota, to be closer to family. Tom and Judy enjoyed fishing so much they moved to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota in 2001. It was at this time that Tom started buying houses to repair and sell.
In 2012, they moved to Central Lake, Michigan, and celebrated their 50th Anniversary. In 2015, they moved to a log home on a lake in Gulliver, Michigan. In 2019, they moved to West Branch, Michigan, and then back to their Central Lake home. They remained there until moving to Rochester, Minnesota, in January of 2024 to be closer to family and receive medical care at the Mayo Clinic.
Tom was active in many roles outside of work including the JC's, Knights of Columbus, Rotary Club, Church and city councils. Tom enjoyed telling stories and his favorite hobbies were fishing, hunting, reading, remodeling houses, singing in choirs and barbershop with the Cherry Capitol Chorus. Most of all, Tom enjoyed meeting new people and spending time with his extended family and many friends. Tom often told Judy "We've had a good life."
Tom is survived by his wife of 60 years, Judy; children, Jill (John) Palof, Karen (William 'Ed') Wright, and Mark Heinowski; grandson, Thomas 'Tommy' Palof and fiancée Leah Sonsalla; siblings, Jean Warner, Mary Ellen Bellgowan, Kay (Dick) Dankers; and sister-in-law, Bernadette 'Marty' Heinowski.
Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Helen; sister, Alice Wren; brother, Carl 'Bud' Heinowski; brothers-in-law, Jim Wren, Robert Warner, Jon Bellgowan, Joe Turelle, and Jim Thomson.
Mass of Christian burial for Tom Heinowski will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 10:00am at the Church of St. Rose of Lima, Kenyon, Minnesota, with Father Randal Kasel officiating. The family will receive friends for visitation on Saturday, May 18, 2024, for one hour prior to Mass. Burial will be held at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Cemetery immediately following Mass.
We wish to thank the staff at Mayo Clinic and Interim Hospice of Rochester, MN, for the excellent health care they both provided.
Mahn Family Funeral Home, Rochester, MN, is handling the arrangements. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Friends of St. Rose, Inc., and the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery, in Kenyon, Minnesota.
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