Thomas J. Hiatt

Thomas (Tom) Jeffery Hiatt, of East Dubuque, Ill., died at home on December 22. He was 68.

Public visitation is 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, December 29, at Leonard Funeral Home and Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road in Dubuque, Iowa. A private family service will be
held.

A native and longtime Dubuquer, Tom was born May 19, 1957, the son of Earl W. and Esther G. (Schauff) Hiatt. As one of five boys, throughout childhood Tom enjoyed the comradery of a band of brothers-who were all just a few years apart-and the love of a father and mother who helped to instill in him, from a very young age, the importance of being a hard worker who cared for others.

It started at The Farm. Tom's kids would later hear the stories-of milking cows, herding cattle, throwing bales of hay, and riding horses through the rolling hills and winding creeks of the idyllic acres of the Schauff farm in Wisconsin. It was hard work, to be sure, but it was also clearly the formative years of a young man who, decades later, would share the values of that work with his kids, bringing them to see the Schauffs and help with chores-and also smell that manure.

Tom attended St. Pat's grade school and then graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1975. He said he was not a good student-but probably was-and he especially excelled in basketball. He also at times crossed paths with his future wife. They were in different grades, but of course everyone knew who he was.

Luckily for him, Carla would get to know him best. After high school, Tom left Dubuque for an electrician program in Phoenix, where he was so lonely that his father, crossing
paths with Carla, pleaded with her: Could she write to him? She declined. It wasn't "proper." If Tom wanted, he could write to her first.

And he did. On Oct. 4, 1975, she received a letter… and then another. And another. (There are many more letters, saved to this day.) When Tom returned home to Dubuque the following summer for an internship at John Deere, he stayed.

On April 4, 1981, he married the love of his life, Carla (Apel) Hiatt.

Together, they created a loving home for their four children, and the kids were so fortunate to have a coach, cheerleader, audience member, handyman and mentor in their dad. As a husband, Tom showed his affection through his wit, work around the house and quality time. He was a tough guy, so when he wanted a hug, he would look to Carla and say, "You need a hug." Tom also was an industrious provider for his family, having worked in the foundry and assembly line at John Deere and later making ends meet through odd jobs on a hobby farm and beef boning at FDL before proudly finding his passion for serving the community through the Dubuque Police Department.

Known by his fellow officers as "Woody," Tom spent nearly two decades moving up the ranks in law enforcement. He served as an officer, detective and corporal, and he was part of the tactical team. He loved to work. After leaving the force, he had an encore career as director of security at the Q Casino, where he could continue to interact with his law enforcement colleagues.

Tom's work gave him the opportunity to do what he enjoyed every day: connect with people. Depending on your relationship with him, he was a social butterfly, a storyteller-or, most endearingly of all, a bullshitter. As a police officer, Tom connected with kids on the court, shedding his gun belt to play a game of pickup basketball. As a civilian around town, he needed extra time with errands because he would undoubtedly run into someone he knew wherever he went. At home, he would pontificate on the news of the day or tell stories, like "The Golden Arm," that scared the grandkids or sent them into a fit of giggles.

Tom's family was his number one love and priority. Having everyone together in the same place meant the world to him, and the time was spent simply-with meat on the grill or around a bonfire with beers. Even though traveling was not his favorite, he loved Hawaii, his bucket list trip, and traveled regularly to be with his family-to Chicago, DeWitt, New York, Key West, D.C. or New Jersey. After retirement, Tom had more time for his passions, which were delightfully local and included playing poker and golfing with his buddies T.P., Vinnie, and Tony and, with Carla, spoiling the grandkids and attending-with some sideline coaching-their many sporting events.

Building on his high school athletics career, Tom had a talent and passion for basketball his entire life. If you were lucky enough to be on the court (or really anywhere) with him, there is no doubt you were on the receiving end of a lot of trash talk-and you knew that he never saw a shot that he didn't like to take.

While his hobbies and time with family and friends were varied, his choice of television and music were more specific: Andy Griffith and Bonanza were the only shows he wanted on his TV, and the soundtrack on his drives was strictly limited to Waylon, Willie and the "old" country.

Earl and Esther must have been very proud parents. Tom built his life around the values of hard work-"Be Cool. Stay in School."-and the importance of family and community. And he served with selflessness and humility, encouraging others to do the same.

Tom is survived by his wife, Carla; four children, Lisa LeConte of DeWitt, Iowa, Jennifer (Bill) Graham of Chicago, Ill., Jeffrey (Cassie) Hiatt of Asbury, Iowa, and Kurtis Hiatt (Danny Schmidt) of Haddonfield, N.J.; seven grandchildren, Clara, Anna, William, Miles, Mila, Theo, and Esther; three brothers, Dan "Boots" Hiatt, Steve "Moose" (Pam) Hiatt, Dave "Cricky" (Judy) Hiatt; mother-in-law Norma Apel; three brothers-in-law, Francis (Judy) Apel, Jeff (Cindy) Apel, Steve (Pernilla) Apel; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Esther Hiatt, his brother William "Bill" Hiatt, father-in-law Francis Apel and brother-in-law Kevin Apel.

The Hiatt family extends its deep gratitude to the East Dubuque fire and police departments, MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center emergency room medical staff, Dr. Khan and Dr. Konz and her nursing staff.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dubuque Rescue Mission, where Tom volunteered for many years, by mailing a check to P.O. Box 147, Dubuque, IA 52004, in care of Jeff Lenhart.