Thomas Edward O'Connell

MOUNT HOREB - Thomas Edward O’Connell, age 89, passed away peacefully at Agrace Hospice Center on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. One of three children, Thomas was born on Sept. 12, 1930, in Dell Prairie, Wis., the son of Margaret and Roc O’Connell. Tom was raised on a farm in Adams County, Wis. Tom's time at local Wisconsin Dells High School would prove to be some of the richest years of his life. As star athlete, an uncommonly personable individual, Tom's fraternal high school pals became his lifelong friends. Throughout his life, for Tom, high school reunions were not to be missed; they were sacred occasions. Tom began his undergraduate degree at UW-Platteville where he laid the stakes for his life's career in agriculture while simultaneously playing football for the Platteville Pioneers. In 1951, Tom put his scholarship on pause to serve in the Korean War by enlisting in the U.S. Navy. For three-and-a-half years, Tom sailed the world's seas aboard a Navy Destroyer, serving as a sonar specialist. An innately worldly person, for Tom, his adventure's in the Navy didn't so much enlighten as confirm. Upon returning from the Navy and completing his bachelor's degree, Tom commenced his career as a 4-H agent in Sparta, Wis. A fateful visit to the neighboring community of Black River Falls won Tom an introduction to Monica Ann Byrns, his future wife and the love of his life. Shortly after marrying Monica, Tom enrolled in a master’s program at UW-Madison, becoming one of the first to graduate with an Agricultural Sciences degree. Here, Tom was encouraged to pursue his Ph.D., but he resisted, knowing his calling wasn't in classrooms but in league with Wisconsin's preeminent farming industry and in reverent alliance with the farmers who made it so. Upon completing his master's degree, Tom accepted the position of county agent for La Crosse County in La Crosse, Wis. After a fruitful decade here, Tom accepted a new position as country agent for Dane Country, then the nation's shining exemplar of farming and prodigious dairy production. He and Monica, now sporting a family of three, returned to the Madison area where they raised their family and lived out their lives. Tom was an avid reader of the news and erudite commentary, in particular, the Atlantic Monthly and Madison's (then) two daily papers. Tom kept to a concise, abiding number of pastimes, chief among them were his daily battles with the crossword puzzle. A question or thought often initiated a response from Tom in the form of a singsong rhyme, ditty or adage; a stable that was astonishing for its breadth and precision. Tom was known for his pithy wit and clever rejoinders. For Tom, many of life’s problems could be worked out over a few games of solitaire and which for him were not only a familiar evening routine but an occasion to reflect and ponder while actively engaged. Upon retiring, Tom remained faithful to the Wisconsin countryside he loved. He and Monica built a home outside Mount Horeb the refuge where for Tom feeding the birds and surveying the world from the front porch constituted contentment. For those lucky enough to know him, Tom was admired for being a modest sagacious, talented and kindhearted man: a true embodiment of America's greatest generation. Tom is survived by his children, Katie (John Michael) Jones, Peggy (Erik Johnson) O'Connell and Patrick O’Connell; grandchildren, Alissa (Daniel) Exner, Madeleine (Cody) Rome, Olivia Jones, Ian, Caroline and Lily Johnson; great-granddaughter Ellie Grace; and sister, Joan Lepry. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, at ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 602 Everglade Drive, Madison, with Father Bart Timmerman, celebrant. Visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the Mass. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery with military honors. The family wishes to thank all who have so gently and compassionately cared for Tom at the end of his life, and in particular, Sandy Wimble. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Tom's name may be made to Agrace HospiceCare, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Camacho Mount Horeb Funeral & Cremation Care 500 N. Eighth Street (608) 437-5077