Deceased 2013

Tom Messerschmidt

October 10, 1946 - February 18, 2013

Attached is what was spoken at Tom's funeral by his good friend and business associate, Dale Pontow.  Use the facts that you wish to use from it.  Tom was the graduating class of 64, I believe.  He got his GED and then went to Rockford College. 
 
Our address is:
 
Edith Messerschmidt
25999 Glen Eden Road
Corona, CA 92883

tommeshot@hotmail.com

Good morning and thank you all for being here today.

Most of you probably don't know me.  My name is Dale Pontow and I , just like most of you here today, am someone whose life was touched by Tom.  I first met Tom in the middle of a cornfield in Red Oak, Iowa.  It was at a brand new division of Rockford Drop Forge and they had selected this particular spot, practically in the middle of nowhere, to build what was to become Red Oak Forge.  Tom was the Engineering Supervisor at this new facility and now my new immediate supervisor.  And in no time at all, my new friend.

That was almost 35 years ago.

But of course, the story actually starts long before that.  Tom was born on October 10, 1946 to Lillian and Dayton Messerschmidt in the town of Rockford, Illinois.  When Tom arrived into this world he already had a sister Barbara Messerschmidt who had joined the family 6 years before Tom.  I believe that she is here today with her husband, Bob McPhearson.

Now Tom, being the youngest child and the only boy, was said by his father to be .... a bit headstrong.  Sounds like the Tom I knew.  I guess after church one Sunday morning, young Tom spotted an ice cream truck across the street and promptly asked his father if he could go get some ice cream.  But his father told him “no” he could not.  Well, Tom DID like ice cream and when the family got ready to leave they looked around for Tom and did not see him anywhere.  Well, you can guess where he turned up:  walking back toward the family from the ice cream truck, licking his ice cream.

With a mind of his own, Tom did not graduate high school with his class but rather dropped out to go to work, marry and start a family while earning a bachelor’s degree in General Studies from Rockford College.  Tom soon had a baby daughter, Mary Messerschmidt, by the time he was 19 years old and a son, Joe Messerschmidt by the time he was 20 years old.  Unfortunately, Tom’s teenage marriage did not last but he kept moving forward and his subsequent marriage produced another son, Joel Messerschmidt in 1973.

In time, Tom found work at Rockford Drop Forge in Rockford, Illinois. It was his experiences at Rockford Drop Forge that would eventually bring him to Iowa where he and I would come to know one another.  Tom's background of forging, machining and industrial engineering experience was a tremendous jump start for a hungry young career person like myself. With Tom's help, I did well and made a life for myself and my family.  But his help didn't end there.  In only a couple of years, changes in the business world would cause Tom to strike out on a new adventure, this time to Lenape Forge in Pennsylvania.  But he didn't forget about those that he left behind.  In a short time, my telephone rang and the voice on the other end said "Tom Messerschmidt says that you would be a good man for this job".  And with that recommendation from Tom, I made the jump from that cornfield in Iowa to Southern California and a completely new life.  A life where many things prospered for me and continue to do so to this day, thanks to Tom.

As time went into the late 1980's, Tom also ended up in California as the General Manager of Smith Tool in Irvine, CA and our friendship continued.  As we stayed connected and chatted from time to time, we found out that both of us had been enjoying some of the same leisure activities.  The one that we would spend the next several years doing together was the combination of camping and riding our 3 and 4 wheel toys on every off road opportunity we could both get the time off from work to go do.  I call them "toys" because this is the time of my life that I most remember that fun, crazy fella with the $50 smile and a true zest for living life.  Watching Tom ride his Honda 3 wheeler around the sand dunes, working with his pop up camping trailer and just enjoying life to the fullest.  Those are the memories that stay with me the most.  Tom having fun and sharing it with everyone around him.

One day in 1993 Tom informed me that he was going to try his hand at marriage again and asked if I would be his best man.  Of course I said that I would and thus began his happy marriage to Edie that would last almost 20 years, until the day he passed.  Tom and Edie had a very happy life together living in Orange County.  They each pursued their careers and helped to raise some of their grandchildren from time to time.  Tom was a good husband, father, grandfather and friend and is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, wife, three children, four grandchildren, two stepchildren and two step grandchildren.

A few years ago Tom and Edie rented out their home and moved to an RV resort to retire and travel a bit.  But Tom couldn’t help getting involved with the running of the resort where he served on the board of directors, then interim manager, then assistant manager/operations manager.  Working tirelessly, Tom was instrumental in bringing about many of the improvements at the RV resort and he was highly valued by a great many people that he worked with.  Throughout his life, Tom has positively touched many lives with his caring influence and intelligence, both in business and personal relationships.

Tom, we will all miss you very much!!  Thank You