Thomas Carrow, 80, of Atwood, died May 8, 2024. He was born on September 20, 1943, in Kane, PA, to George and Eugenia (Suain) Carrow. Two years later, a sister, Sallie, was born. The family lived in Hazel Hurst, PA, until George took a job with Getty Oil and the company asked him to move to Illinois. Tom was 12 years old when they moved to Robinson, Illinois.
Tom had attended Hazel Hurst Elementary and Robinson Middle School before graduating from Robinson High School. He took classes at Eastern Illinois University and worked for Marton Oil and Getty Oil. Tom also taught 6th grade for one year at Muffley Grade School. From 1966-1969, he served in the United States Army. Tom did his basic training at Fort Benning where he made Lieutenant, and was stationed in Germany during his service. Upon his return from the Army, he bought a motorcycle and traveled the Alcan Highway, in Alaska.
In 1971, Tom moved to Castro Valley, CA, where he met Denise “Dee” Torak. They were married in 1972 and to this union three children were born. In 1975, the family moved back to Illinois and Tom worked for Getty Oil. They built a home on five acres near Hardinville, IL, where they lived until 1984, when they moved to Colorado. There Tom worked for Koch Fiberglass and helped grow the company in Canada and California. He sold fiberglass pipe to distributors and then helped install pipe. They lived in Elizabeth, CO for 23 years before buying a farm near Atwood, KS and moving there. In Atwood he was a member of the Masonic Lodge #164 and enjoyed garage sales, auctions and the farm.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a stillborn sister.
Tom is survived by his wife of 52 years, Dee; daughter Laura (Tony) McDonald; sons, Matt Carrow (Kendall Tinnes) and Mike Carrow; four grandchildren, Sierra Scott, Adrianna Tinnes, Teagan Carrow and Wyatt Carrow; sister Sallie (Dan) Cougill and nephew Rick Oliver
.A Celebration of Life will take place at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 2024, at the Immanuel Methodist Church, in Bird City, KS. Memorial may be made to the NWKS Foundation for Hope and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com