Thomas Ernest Kovacs

Thomas "Tom" Kovacs, age 75, of Madison, passed away on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at St. Mary's Hospital at 9:45 p.m. He was attended by his wife during his last moments, with many friends and family able to spend time with him before he passed. It was peaceful and he was without pain. Tom was a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and good friend to many. He was born on Aug. 20, 1940, in Madison, the son of Ernest and Joyce Kovacs. He attended Edgewood High School and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, earning a Business Accounting degree. He met his wife, Sandra Ann Horn, on a blind date set up by friends for New Year's Eve, the event of their first kiss. Tom and Sandee married the following April 24, 1965. They celebrated the 51st anniversary of their blind date last New Year's Eve. During the 1970's, Tom and Sandee owned The Wander Inn, a bar in Baraboo, Wisconsin, for many years. After that business closed, Tom worked as a manager for the University of Wisconsin Property Control Office in Madison for 25 years, until his retirement. During the 80's his son, Chad, joined the Madison Junior Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, and the entire family got involved. Tom volunteered for business management of the corps for a few years and Sandee handled flags and costumes. "Special K" and "Crazy Lady" were their CB names while the corps was on tour. In his recent years, Tom and Sandee traveled the U.S., and Tom was able to experience a space shuttle take-off. They also went on an Alaskan Cruise to see the glaciers, frequently traveled up to Northern Wisconsin for fishing and the beautiful autumn countryside and to the Elkhart Lake Race Track, as well as visiting friends and family as they could. Tom was a big Wisconsin Badgers fan, as well as the Green Bay Packers. He greatly enjoyed finding bad weather - floods and big storms were exciting! Tom's love of cars and racing led to the recent purchase of the 2013 "Gotta Have It Green" Ford Mustang convertible. Its bright green color stood out from the crowds and you could not miss it. One of his greatest pleasures was being able to take the Mustang out on the track of Elkhart Lake and get it up to its top speeds. He was an avid boater, motorcyclist and even took flying lessons. Tom truly loved fast machines of all types. Tom is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sandee; daughter, Susan (Arthur C.) Wachowski; son, Chad (Holly) Kovacs; grandchildren, Courtney, Austyn and Cassandra; great-granddaughter, Apryl; brother, Jerry (Linda) Kovacs; sister, Vidya "Karen" (Joe) Tourdot; and cousins, Janet and Kathy. He was preceded in death by his father; mother; and step-father, Orville Evenson. A Celebration of Life will be held from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at BABE'S BAR AND GRILL, 5614 Schroeder Rd, Madison, WI 53711, (608) 274-7300 http://babesmadison.com/. Donations can be made in Tom's name to the Madison Scouts Drum And Bugle Corp. http://www.madisonscoutslive.com/mainsite/. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608)221-5420