Thomas E. Kolanoski

March 1, 1937 - November 9, 2025 Born in San Francisco in the Mission in 1937. Crosses the Golden Gate Bridge in the arms of his father, Ted, when it opened. Caught his first trout in Samuel Taylor State Park at about age 3. At 18 years of age, the family moved to San Geronimo Valley. In 1955 he went to college at the University of San Francisco after St. Ignatius High School. He got a job in the Wholesale Flower Market in San Francisco for the next 5 years. He graduated with a teaching credential and took a job in Oakdale in 1960. Married Sheila O'Brien from Pasadena whom he met at the University of San Francisco.

His mother Mary taught him this "If a job is first begun, never leave it 'til it's done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all." Took a new job in San Francisco Unified in 1961 at Benjamin Franklin Junior High in the Western Addition. Won a Fellowship in Psychology at the University of Southern California in 1964 and moved to Orange County. The next year he became a counselor at Huntington Beach High School.

In 1969 he became a Vice Principal at Fountain Valley High School. In 1970 he moved to Westminster High School and then to Marina High School and in 1972 back to Westminster High School as Principal. In 1977 he became the Director of Curriculum for the Huntington Beach Union High School District. In 1980 he left there to become a Financial Advisor for Waddell and Reed, Inc. In 1981 he became the Manager of his office and in 1986 he became Regional Vice President of the Southwest and moved to Phoenix, Arizona.

In 1995 he retired "having done it well", and returned to Orange County.

In 2007 Sheila died after 46 years of marriage and travelling.

He leaves many friends, three sons (Ken, Pat and Mike), their wives and granddaughter, Greer, and a life partner and best friend, Anji Clemens.
He was a life member of Trout Unlimited and to quote one of their publication's authors "In my fishing fantasies the one thing I never imagine myself doing is wearing out, but it happens, and something in my American male upbringing precludes me from ever being the first to say, 'I gotta rest for a while.'"

On Thursday, December 4,2025 a "Celebration of Life" mass will be held at St. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, in Huntington Beach, at 10 a.m. A reception will immediately follow the mass at The Huntington Club in Huntington Beach.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/12611288