Thomas W. Kerrigan Sr.

News Death Notice

KERRIGAN, Sr., Thomas W. A lifelong Sidney resident, retired Judge Thomas W. Kerrigan, Sr., age 80, of 582 Russell Road, passed away November 13th, 2009 at Wilson Memorial Hospital Emergency Room after a brief illness. A devout Catholic parishioner of Holy Angels Catholic Church, Tom generously supported his church, Holy Angels Elementary School and Lehman Catholic High School. Tom will be greatly missed by his family who will forever remember him as a loving husband, loyal and supportive father and kind and gentle grandfather. Tom is survived by his wife of 58 years, Shirley Kerrigan; his daughter, Linda Klopfenstein (husband Russ) of Beavercreek; his son, Thomas W. Kerrigan, II (wife Pamela) of Sidney; his son, Steven G. Kerrigan (Monique) of Bellbrook, and his son, Michael P. Kerrigan (wife Teri) of Westerville. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Kyle Klopfenstein, Lauren Kerrigan, Kathleen Kerrigan, Thomas W. Kerrigan, III (Trey), Aaron Kerrigan, Lucy Kerrigan, Sophie Kerrigan, Ryan Kerrigan and Brady Kerrigan. Tom was preceded in death by his father and mother, Terrence (TJ) and Hazel Kerrigan as well as two brothers, Joseph Kerrigan and Dr. John Kerrigan, and has one surviving brother, Dr. Terrence Kerrigan of Bend, Oregon. Tom was born December 4th, 1928 in Sidney, Ohio. He graduated with high marks from Holy Angels High School in 1946 along with 26 other fine young men and women. His hard-earned diploma was awarded to him by Monsignor Edward C. Lehman. At Holy Angels he was an extremely fierce competitor on the school basketball teams. Although it is rumored that many complained he was a "gunner" meaning he shot the basketball too much, a term which he vehemently denied, there is nonetheless evidence that he was very determined to be his team's "leading varsity basketball scorer" each and every game. After Holy Angels High School, Tom attended his beloved University of Note Dame, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts and Letters degree in Political Science and Philosophy. Despite having four grandchildren currently attending The Ohio State University, all avid supporters of the Buckeyes, Tom, Sr. never waivered in his lifelong support of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. He was a dedicated Fighting Irish season ticketholder who took his family to literally hundreds of Fighting Irish football games at his beloved alma mater in South Bend, Indiana. Game day always included an obligatory brief tour of the Knute Rockne Memorial and an extended visit for prayer service at the "Holy Grotto." After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, Tom enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, and spent more than 49 months as a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI). Tom served as Detachment Commander at Selfridge Air Force Base north of Detroit, Michigan. During his distinguished Air Force military career, Tom headed the Air Force Criminal and Counter-Intelligence Units for the lower peninsula of Michigan and earned an honorable discharge for his exemplary military career. Despite working full time for the R.C.A. Corporation in Cincinnati, Ohio in order to support his wife and children, Tom graduated in the top ten percent of his law school class from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 1959. Upon graduation from Chase College of Law, Tom returned with his family to his native Sidney and entered into private law practice as a partner in the law firm of Garmhausen, Lewis and Kerrigan. Five years later, running for the position of Shelby County Prosecutor, Tom won every precinct in Shelby County in his first bid for elective office. He was re-elected as Shelby County Prosecuting Attorney in 1968 for another 4 year term, after which he chose to re-enter the private practice of law full time, practicing with several local Shelby County attorneys, including Eugene P. Elsass, and former Judges John Schmitt and Norman Smith, amongst others. In 1985, he retired from the full-time practice of law as senior partner of the law firm of Kerrigan, Boller, Stevenson, predecessor to the present Kerrigan, Boller, Goettemoeller & Beigel, in order to assume the bench as Shelby County Common Pleas Court, Probate and Juvenile Division Judge. He won election to said position in 1986 and fulfilled one term retiring in 1991. While at Kerrigan, Boller and Stevenson, Tom considered himself fortunate to have practiced law with the late Michael Boller, current Judge James F. Stevenson, and his son, Thomas W. Kerrigan, II. (KERRIGAN OBIT CONT. NEXT COL.)