With his daughter grateful to have been by his side in his final moments, Thomas Howard Schierl, age 86, passed away on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Brewster Village in Appleton, Wisconsin. He was born January 5, 1940, in Neenah to the late Howard A. and Genevieve E. (Kainz) Schierl.

Growing up in the heyday of the 1950s, Tom learned the value of hard work early, delivering newspapers to earn money for comic books and 45 records. After graduating from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in 1958 and realizing the classroom wasn’t for him, he enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served four years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11). During his service, he visited ports including Barbados, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, Spain, and Gibraltar.

While home on leave, Tom met the love of his life, Barbara Ann (Beil), at the Cinderella Ballroom in Appleton. After years of exchanging cards and letters, and following his honorable discharge, they were married on February 2, 1963, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Menasha—the same church where Tom had served as an altar boy in his youth. They made their home in the house where Tom grew up, built a loving life together, and were blessed with their only child, a daughter, Victoria.

Not long after, Tom began working as a millwright at Wisconsin Tissue Mills. Finding shift work wasn’t a good fit, he moved into concrete work at Dewey Precast and Badger Highways before taking what he liked to call a “cleaner job” as a water plant operator for the Town of Menasha Sanitary District #4. After 24 years of dedicated service, he retired in 2002—happy to no longer be called out in the middle of the night to deal with water main breaks, often in the harshest winter conditions.

A longtime member of the National Rifle Association, Tom had a strong interest in firearms history and coin collecting. In his younger years, he enjoyed deer hunting, archery, and winter trapping, often catching enough rabbits for a much-anticipated family stew. He especially loved antiquing, thrifting, and visiting flea markets and rummage sales, always on the lookout for his next trinket or treasure. Never one to pass up a good “curb find,” he often brought discarded items home, fixed them up, and gave them new life. His enthusiasm for decorating matched his collecting, and over time, his finds filled the house—where not a wall, and sometimes not even a ceiling, was left undecorated.

Tom was truly the “king of his castle,” and he loved spending time watching television and movies. He was especially fond of epic classics like Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments, drawn to the grand scale of royalty and pageantry. That interest even inspired a memorable trip to Chicago’s Field Museum to see the King Tut exhibit. He had a lifelong love of Westerns and seemed to have seen just about every one ever made—often more than once—especially those starring John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Late nights often included T.J. and the Ant and Svengoolie. He had an appreciation for classic comedy, particularly The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy. A Green Bay Packers fan, Tom also enjoyed the larger-than-life entertainment of professional wrestling and the fast-paced action of roller derby.

Family outings often meant a Friday night fish fry, rotating through favorite Fox Valley spots. When he wanted pizza, it was always Frank and Pat’s Pizzeria. For a charbroiled burger, he chose Mihm’s Charcoal Grill, and for a hot beef sandwich, Tony’s Bar was the place to go. Wedding anniversary dinners with Barb were often celebrated at Nino’s Steak Roundup.

Tom was a fun-loving kid at heart who always looked forward to summer events which boat races at Jefferson Park, Sawdust Days in Oshkosh—especially the Buckskinner’s Camp—and Fourth of July fireworks. He rarely passed up a chance to go to a carnival or church picnic. He was naturally social and could go just about anywhere and run into someone he knew, always ready to strike up a friendly conversation or, as he liked to call it, “jaw-jacking.” Warm summer nights often included a stop at Ralph’s basement store for drinks and cheesy popcorn before heading to the Highway 41 Outdoor Theater for a double or even triple feature under the stars.

Tom had a special fondness for Halloween and enjoyed dressing up to greet trick-or-treaters, with many of his decorations staying up year-round. He had an interest in the unusual, which added to his distinctive personality, and a curiosity about life’s darker side that he approached with interest rather than fear.

He enjoyed trying different beers, wine, and liqueurs, which made gift-giving easy. An accomplished grill master, Tom loved preparing his favorite meals and trying new recipes. He cherished time spent with family and friends, often eating Sunday dinners together, hosting corn roasts, pig roasts, and playing games such as Ship, Captain, Crew; Royal Rummy; and S.O.B. (also known as Aggravation).

Tom lived a life grounded in strong values and integrity and was known by many as “a good man.” Wanting to help others, he quietly supported various charitable causes. His love for his family ran deep, and as a father, he believed in discipline and personal responsibility—lessons he taught through both words and actions. Beneath his firm exterior was a gentle, playful side, especially in moments spent with his daughter, filled with teasing and roughhousing. He often showed his affection through humor, giving nicknames to those he knew well. His more sentimental side appeared in heartfelt toasts at family gatherings and in a memorable attempt at a best man’s speech at his younger brother’s wedding—moments that reflected the warmth and humor those closest to him will always remember.

Tom will be deeply missed by his loved ones: his daughter, Victoria (Mark) Dessort; his granddaughter, Ashley (Willie) Patton; his great-grandson, Logan Patton; his brother, Mark (Kathryn) Schierl; his cousin-in-law, William Cayen, affectionately known as “Dollar Bill”; the Cayen family: Timothy Cayen, Patrick Cayen, Ann Hines, and Michael Cayen; his nieces, Kimberly (Brock) Miele and Amber Blomquist.

Tom’s enthusiasm for life changed following the loss of his beloved wife, Barb, who passed away in November 2022, just three months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary.

He was also preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Genevieve (Kainz) Schierl; his aunt and uncle, Dorothea (Kainz) Kraus and Theodore Kraus; his first cousin, Patricia Cayen; his parents-in-law, George and Irene (Schoenberger) Beil; his sisters-in-law, Mary Beil and Sharon Capua; his daughter’s parents-in-law, Rudolph and Judith (Francart) Dessort; and many other relatives and friends.

Thank you to all the staff of Prairie Homes Assisted Living and Brewster Village for their care and compassion, to Heartland Hospice for keeping him comfortable, and to Chaplain Cliff for his spiritual guidance and companionship.

A private family prayer service, along with military honors, will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Menasha. Tom and Barb’s ashes will be laid to rest together, just as they were in life. Their memory will live on in the stories shared and the moments cherished for years to come.