Thomas J. Mccleerey

Thomas Jay McCleerey was born December 27, 1939, at Washta, Iowa, the son of Clarence and Evelyn McCleerey. He passed away Thursday, January 18, 2018, at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa, at the age of seventy-eight after a short period of health issues.
Tom graduated from the Aurelia High School with the class of 1958. He served in the Navy from 1961-1966 and worked various jobs of employment, retiring from the Iowa Department of Transportation in 2001. He was united in marriage to Karla Mummert on July 22, 1962, at the United Congregational Church in Aurelia, Iowa. They shared 55 years together and could be found cutting a rug on the dance floor in their younger days. They were blessed with the birth of two sons.
His family fondly remembers Tom as a family man with a love for the outdoors. He appreciated the beauty and peacefulness of Canada and Montana while pursuing his favorite pastime fishing for walleye, northern and crappie. This legacy was passed on to his sons from many hours spent with them fishing, camping and also hunting for duck, geese, deer and turkey as they were growing up. He has always been quite the handyman, making sure his sons were taught these important life skills. When he wasn’t outdoors, he could be found drinking coffee while working crossword puzzles or watching NCAA sports while rooting first and foremost for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was proud of and faithfully supported his children and grandchildren’s interests and dreams. He will always be known to them as dependable, loving, caring, forthright and, yes, sometimes quite stubborn.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents.Survivors include: his wife, Karla; two sons, Monte and his wife, Tammy, and Scott and his wife, Lori; four grandchildren, Megan, Amanda, Gary (Jen) and Gregory; one sister, Colleen; one brother, Dennis; other relatives and friends.