Pastor Jeffrey Michael Tomberlin

MCFARLAND – Pastor Jeffrey Michael Tomberlin passed away at the age of 60 years in his home in McFarland, Wis., on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, seven months after learning that he had Glioblastoma (brain cancer) in November of 2018. Jeff was born in Chicago Heights, Ill., on Aug. 10, 1958, as the fourth and youngest child to Irene and John Tomberlin, Jr. During his childhood, Jeff’s family lived in Park Forest, Ill., and moved to the small town of Peotone, Ill., when he was six years old. It is there he made many good friends, including his future wife, Lisa Waterland. They began dating during his senior year of high school and married while in college on June 30, 1979 in Wyoming Valley, Wis., near Jeff’s family’s dairy farm. Jeff graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a B.S. in Agriculture, Dairy Herd Management. While at the UW, Jeff made life-long friends and was always grateful that he had the opportunity to be a member of the UW 1978 Big Ten Championship Cross Country Team. After marrying and farming for a few years, Jeff answered a call to go into the ministry. He moved his wife and three young children to Dubuque, Iowa where he attended Wartburg Seminary for four years, including a practicum CPE in Orange County, Calif., and an internship at St. John Lutheran Church of Prairie Hill, Brenham, Texas. Jeff was ordained in 1989, in Elroy, Wis. His first congregation was Grace Lutheran Church in Petersburg, W.V. Pastor Tomberlin returned to Wisconsin in 1992 to serve at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Brandon, Wis., followed by First English Lutheran Church in Oshkosh and then McFarland Lutheran Church in McFarland. Jeff then specialized in interim ministry and served eight different congregations in the South Central Synod, most recently St. Martin’s Lutheran Church of Cross Plains. Jeff was preceded in death by his parents, Irene and John Tomberlin, Jr. formerly of Spring Green, Wis. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, of 40 years; their children, Luke Tomberlin and wife, Alyssum, Jessica Kim and husband, Young Wan and Meghan Gross and husband, Josh; grandchildren, YooMi, Jade, Cedar, Scarlet, Noah, Mia and Lilian; his siblings, Jacquelyn Tomberlin and partner, Mary Myers, Carolyn Stewart and husband, Royce and John Tomberlin III and wife, Carolyn; his in-laws, Margaret Waterland, Mike Waterland and wife, Kim and Cindy Grubbs-Mahood and husband, Don Mahood; Dave Waterland, Steven “Bubba” Waterland and Cheryl Ott and husband, Smokey; and many beloved nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, cousins, and close friends. Despite long term chronic health issues, Jeff loved his work as a pastor. He also enjoyed being a track and basketball coach. Jeff was an avid runner since he was a middle school student. He loved running in the UW arboretum during college and this continued to be his favorite place to run throughout the years. When he had free time, he liked to do woodworking, hiking and photography of mushrooms, watching sports, and cooking. Most of all, Jeff enjoyed spending time with his family. He loved being with his children and grandchildren and thoroughly loved watching them grow. Jeff and his family are very grateful to all of the spiritual and medical professionals who have helped him, not only during his last illness, but in the many years preceding when dealing with chronic pain from a car accident. A funeral service will be held at MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH, 5202 Cottage Grove Rd., Madison, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. Visitation will be held at the church from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Memorial donations may be made to Lutheran World Relief, P.O. Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061 or University of Wisconsin Arboretum, 1207 Seminole Hwy, Madison, WI 53711-3726. Online condolences may be made to www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420