Thomas Schroeder

Thomas "Tommy" Schroeder, age 64, passed away on March 31, 2026, in Ft. Myers, Florida following a sudden illness. He was born to Carl and Gloria Schroeder on February 4, 1962. He primarily grew up in Baltimore County, Maryland where he was a very active young boy with lots of friends and a loving nature. As part of his Maryland background, he developed a love of Maryland crabs and often had some in his freezer. As a young adult, he moved to Eldon, Missouri to be close to his children and lived there for many years. He enjoyed working on cars and became a very knowledgeable and gifted auto mechanic.

Tommy is survived by his daughter Alecia Etter of St. Petersburg, Florida; his son, Thomas "TJ" Schroeder of Eldon, Missouri; his beloved granddaughter, Kayleigh Fike of Florida; his sister, Debby Schroeder of Millsboro, Delaware; his sister, Amy (Scotty) Orr of Edgewood, New Mexico; and his brother, David (Meri) Schroeder of Granville, Ohio; and his former wife Brenda Harris, Jefferson City, MO. He was preceded in death by both of his parents who passed away in 2015, and by his son, Paul on March 6, 2021. The loss of Paul had a profound and lasting impact on Tommy, which he carried with him for the remainder of his life.

Tommy will be remembered for his love of family, his resilience, and the deep bonds he shared with those closest to him. He loved laughing and joking with his friends and made friends easily. Although he faced hardships, his love of family and friends never wavered.

Later in life, he moved from Missouri to Florida and settled in Ft Myers, Florida in the same community where his father had lived for many years. He loved Florida and enjoyed being away from the cold Missouri weather and being around the sunshine, water and loved taking his fishing kayak out fishing and seeing the manatees. He became a member of the American Legion Post 351 in Ft. Myers where he felt very much at home and created many friendships. Tommy had a beautiful smile, and it was hard not to laugh at some point when you were around him. He could sometimes have a gruff exterior, but those who knew him saw the loving and caring spirit within him. He also left behind his longtime dog, Amber, and would be so gratified to know that neighborhood friends are caring for and plan to keep her.

He will be dearly missed and forever remembered by all who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Wounded Warriors Project, https://support.woundedwarriorsproject.org; or to https://theheadstrongproject.org.