Thomas H. Carroll, age 75, of Waupaca, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, June 3, 2018. He was born in Baraboo, WI on January 20, 1943 to the late Perry and Beatrice (Muck) Carroll. Tom grew up on the Carroll family farm in the Town of Green Valley, Shawano County, and graduated from Bonduel High School in 1961.
Tom served in Vietnam from 1967-1968, serving as 2nd platoon leader 12/67-6/68 of Delta 4/31 of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. He retired after 21 years in the U.S. Army, holding the rank of Major. Not one to brag about his accomplishments, he was a Green Beret and a member of Special Forces.
If asked about his time in the military, Tom would say, “I loved every minute of it”. He retired to Waupaca, WI and was very active in Waupaca Bass Club and WAYHA, among others. In 1987, Tom opened the doors to Gateway Real Estate along with now wife, Lanae (Wilson) Carroll.
They were involved in agency business, building and then rental property. Tom and Lanae raised English Setters and participated in National Shoot to Retrieve field trials, then American Field horseback field trials. From childhood, Tom was an avid reader.
He used a flashlight at night under his blanket to read after bedtime; always looking for a newspaper at a restaurant; books galore. One of his best friends later in life became his Samsung tablet and Googling things he wanted to still learn. His greatest accomplishment was teaching everyone he met how to give and receive a big sincere hug…men, women and children equally.
Oh, how he will be missed by so many lives he touched. He is survived by his wife, Lanae of Waupaca; daughter, Kristen (Jeffery) Passow of Germantown and son, Luke Carroll (girlfriend, Lisa Juhlke) of Oshkosh; grandsons, Alexander and Jacob Passow; a brother, Peter (Barbara) Carroll of Cecil; sister-in-law, Ruth Kay Carroll of Butte des Morts; brother-in-law, Brian Wilson and sister-in-law, Sharon Wilson (friend Norman Minton); and former wife, Mary Carroll of Waupaca. Tom is further survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by a brother, John and a niece, Jennifer Carroll. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 14, 2018 at the Maple Crest Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until the time of the service.
Full military honors will follow the memorial service. Burial of cremains will take place at Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in King, WI at a later date. Memorials may be directed to Wounded Warriors or the Fisher House Foundation.
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