Thomas McGuire
October 4, 1952 - June 23, 2021
Prairie Village, Kansas - Thomas John McGuire was born in Carlsbad, NM on a warm, sunny afternoon on October 4,1952. He was the youngest child of Benjamin Frederick and Laura (Holste) McGuire. He left this earth on his last great adventure on June 23, 2021 at St. Luke's Hospice House at the age of 68 years, a victim of respiratory failure and Huntington's Disease.
Thom attended grade school in Carlsbad along with his three siblings. Thom later moved with his mother and nephew to Portales NM. He then spent his high school years at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM where he learned the technique of good time management. After HS graduation, he enrolled at the U. of New Mexico in Albuquerque graduating with degrees in Chemistry and Math. While there he assisted with freshman chemistry and tutored other students in Math especially statistics. After graduation, he ran an analytical lab dealing with soil analysis.
From the age of ten, Thom 's goal was to go to medical school. Toward this goal, Thom moved to Italy where he became fluent in Italian and began studies in Sardinia where he completed the first basic science half of the curriculum. He then transferred to the U. Of New Mexico School of Medicine as a second-year student and graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1983. He applied to and was accepted as a resident at the University of Kansas Medical Center in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Thom practiced medicine at Independence Regional Medical Center where he directed the Rehabilitation unit and a Head Trama unit.
While at the U. of Kansas, He met his soul and travel mate, Judith Perry. They were married in the Spencer Chapel at the Medical Center on Jan 10th, 1987. In 1989, they were blessed by the birth of their son John.
Thom was a quiet guy until you got to know him and realized he had a great sense of humor and had adventure in his soul. At the age of twelve, he talked his mother into letting him make his own fireworks. She always said she didn't know how he talked her into that! Fortunately, there were no accidents and the fireworks actually worked! At the age of 14, Thom won a free ride in a glider plane and he was hooked. He attended a glider pilot training school in California and flew gliders well into his forties. He was also a wind surfer, catamaran sailor, snow skier. Vespa rider, a gardener (with the proverbial green thumb) a marathon runner, a hiker and he loved to read. He also loved to travel. He and his family visited Many of the European countries, Iceland and Peru. He and Judy did the Coast-to Coast walk across a narrow neck of England and a part of the Inca trail in Peru.
For over 25 years, Thom participated in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe's Pilgrimages For Vocations that he began during a Fellowship with a local physician in Taos. This was a walk that began at various points 100 miles from the final destination of the Sanctuary at Chimayo and was done over a period of six days. This was a time for prayer, reflection, self-evaluation, and personal petitions as well as service to others. Many arrived with blistered feet, hot and tired but joyous and dedicated their pain and prayers to God. Thom was not only a participant but part of the medical team for many years.
Thom was preceded in death by both of his parents, a host of Holste, Hestermann and McGuire aunts and uncles and some cousins, His sister Sheila Van Hyning, brother James, nephew John VanHyning and brothers -in law Fred Eng, Jr and William Perrry. He is survived by his wife of 34 years Judy, son John(Satomi) of Boston MA, sister Jean Merritt, Albuquerque, NM nieces: Joanna VanHyning Trotter and family, Isa O'Donnell and family, Angie Perry and Nettie Williams, Darcy Chad and family and Heather Gabbert and family.Nephews: Noah Merritt and family, and Sam Merritt and family. Brothers and Sister-in-laws: Bill Merritt, Jim and Karen Perry, Francie and John Hattabaugh, and Diane Perry. Aunts: Norma Wegener and Carol Hestermann Uncle: Loris Dean Hestermann And many close Holste,Hestermann and McGuire cousins. Special thanks to all that cared for Thom especially Linda Patton, Kara Dunn, Jeff Heath and the Neurology team at KU Hospital.
Services will be held on July 30th at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 5250 Mission Rd, Roeland Park, Ks. Family visitation at 9Am followed by the funeral mass at 10am. The family suggests contributions to ST. Agnes ' Church; The Great Plains SPCA Adoption Center, 5224 Antioch Drive, Merriam, Ks 66202; Feeding America. P.O. Box 96749, Washington, D.C. 20090-6749 or The Smile Train, 633 Third Avenue, 9th Floor, New York City, NY 10017