Thomas Cole

Thomas “Tom” Cole, 93, passed away on September 18th, 2023. He was born on July 12th, 1930 to Delno and Ruth “Clark” Cole in Centerville, Iowa.

In 1987, he married LaDonna during a romantic cruise in St. Thomas. Tom and LaDonna celebrated their love every five years with a cruise, marking each anniversary with adventure and shared memories on the open sea.

Tom first found love with Ruth; together they had two children and shared their journey until her passing in 1985.

Tom began to work early in his life.  Beginning at about age 11 he worked after school and on weekends for several years at a nearby fruit and vegetable market.  He became an expert in thumping all types of melons to find the best one for eating.  He leveraged his working at the market to pay his fee for attending Camp Mitigwa, the Boy Scout Camp up near Woodward, Iowa.  He filled his metal lockbox with Hershey bars, selling them to his fellow campers halfway through the week when the Scouts were desperate for something sweet.

He went to Des Moines Technical High School, an early version of what today we would call a Magnet School.  He attended classes in the morning and then would spend the afternoon working at Electrical Engineering & Equipment Company nearby.  This provided him with the foundation for his amazing career in the electrical industry in Central Iowa.  He worked for 3E for many years, partnered with a friend to start their own company, and moved on to Midwest Equipment Company then later finished his career by returning to 3E where it all started.

He became an expert in figuring out how to get and manage power from one place or thing to another, the more complicated the better he liked it.  He created the power distribution system for the giant scoreboard for the then new Houston Astrodome.  He solved the challenge that was presented to him by a brand-new Iowa company called Musco Lighting.  Musco had a concept of building trucks that had a telescopic boom with a lighting array on the top that could park outside of a college football stadium.  In those days, college football games were only broadcast during daylight hours because few stadiums had invested in bright enough lighting for televising night games.  Tom became the Go-To guy for complicated projects. Everyone would say, “If you need help, Tom can figure it out.”

Tom’s life was a testament to his strong faith and commitment to the church community. For 36 years, he was a dedicated member of St. Stephen Lutheran Church.

Golf was an avid passion that brought immense joy to Tom’s life, relishing the challenge of the game. The golf course served as a sanctuary where he could unwind, create lasting memories and forge strong friendships. He was a member of the Urbandale Golf and Country Club, which he proudly called home for 50 years. Every Thursday, he joined his friends for a round of golf followed by a friendly game of Pitch. Until the age of 92, you could still find Tom on the golf course. He even got two holes in 1!

Tom was known for his sense of humor. He loved puns and would often ‘pun-ish’ us. He loved it when you punned him right back which started a long trail of puns back and forth. Tom had a love for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Whether it was gathering around the TV screen with family or attending games at the Kinnick Stadium, Tom’s spirit was a beacon of Hawkeyes pride.

Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife LaDonna; children Kathy (Bob) Smith and John (Amy) Cole; stepchild Jodi (Mark) Olson; grandchildren Kerry (Sean) Ross, Shannon (Morgan) Graham and Noah Cole; step-grandchildren Ricky Trevillyan and Shelbi Olson; great-grandchild Graham Ross; and sister Sharon (Larry) Reed. He is preceded in death by his parents; step-daughter Teri Trevillyan and her husband Rich Trevillyan; step-grandson Nicholas; three sisters and one brother.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either Unity Point Hospice or St. Stephen Lutheran Church.

A service will be held at a later date.