Thomas A. Weis

Monday, February 20, 2017 3:19 pm

Thomas A. Weis, 82, of Decorah died suddenly Wednesday evening, Feb. 15, 2017, at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah. Mass of Christian Burial is at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah, by Rev. Phil Gibbs officiating. Burial is in St. Benedict Cemetery in Decorah, with full military honors by Decorah’s veterans and military organizations, and U.S. Army personnel. A Celebration of Life Reception was from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, at Hotel Winneshiek Opera House in Decorah. Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at fjelstul.com.

Thomas Alvin Weis was born Sept. 23, 1934, in Decorah, to Alvin H. and Pauline (Koester) Weis. He was baptized, confirmed and married at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah, and graduated from Decorah High School with the class of 1952. Upon graduation, and after a semester of college, Tom joined the United States Army and served from 1953 until 1956. He was united in marriage with Lorraine C. Ness Jan. 3, 1955. To this union five children were born: Gregory, Jeffrey, Martin, Suzanne and Gerald. Tom and Lorraine returned to Decorah in 1956, and Tom began his life’s work with Weis Buick, a business he owned with three of his brothers. Here he honed his salesmanship skills and earned the nickname “Honest Tom,” which he bore with great pride. Tom was a lifelong member of St. Benedict Church in Decorah. He served on the Board of Directors at Silvercrest Golf and Country Club, and belonged to the Elk’s Lodge in Decorah and Oneota Golf and Country Club. In his youth, Tom’s friends called him “Fireball,” which signified both his red hair and his fiery spirit. He was, first and foremost, a loving and beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. He had room in his big heart for many loves: his hometown, Decorah, golf and cards, telling stories and telling jokes and making people laugh, Wednesday trips to “the boat,” dancing, watching his kids, grandkids and their friends enjoy the swimming pool, the stock market, selling cars and maintaining his cars, flirting, sitting around the kitchen table shooting the breeze and always sharing his good fortune with others. Not only was he honest, he was fair and loving and generous and kind.

Tom is survived by his wife, Lorraine; his five children and eleven grandchildren: Greg (Roz) Weis of Decorah, Andrew (Jessica) Weis of Shakopee, Minn., Paul (Lindsey) Weis of Des Moines and Carol (Nick) Hopp of Decorah; Jeff (Mary) Weis of Decorah, Ashton Weis of Tacoma, Wash. and Morgan Weis of Madison, Wis.; Marty (Gail) Weis of Decorah, Spencer and Sophie; Suzanne Weis Dickey of Phoenix, Ariz., Jacqueline Dickey of Nashville, Tenn. and Lauren Dickey of Phoenix, Ariz.; Jerry (Wanda) Weis of Decorah, Leah and Jaden; six siblings: Shirley “Peach” (Cyril) Murphy of Onalaska, Wis., Sister Jeanenne “Tubby” Weis, SMJM of San Francisco, Calif., Jim (Caroline) Weis and Joe (Pat) Weis, of Decorah, Betty “Liz” (Gabe) Alvarado of Penn Valley, Calif. and Jo Ann (Tom) Martindale of Santa Cruz, Calif.; three sisters-in-law: Vernelle Weis, Joanne (Donald) Leistikow and Katie Kelly, all of Decorah; and by numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin, Nov. 29, 1953 and Pauline, Feb. 1, 1995; his sister, Sandra Weis, Feb. 5, 2002; two brothers, David Weis, Dec. 20, 2008 and Richard “Tip” Weis, Aug. 25, 2015; and one granddaughter, Brittany Marie Weis, Jan. 30, 2001.