Thomas M. Kidder

Thomas M. Kidder, M.D.

Born to Eternal Life on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the age of 83. Dr. Thomas M. Kidder was the beloved husband of Eliza Weinstein and the late Eileen Kidder, his wife of 45 years. He was a cherished father to Steve (Margie) Kidder and the late Terese, and a treasured grandfather to Cullen, Kylie and Audra (daughter of Jacki Weinstein) . He was the dear brother of Sr. Mary Kidder, O.P., and Ric (the late Ginger) Kidder. He is further survived by other loving family members and friends.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Tom graduated from Serra High School before moving to Milwaukee to attend Marquette University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1964. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1968 (Marquette School of Medicine). He completed his internship and residency training in Otolaryngology in Milwaukee in the late 1960s and early 1970s, becoming board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology in 1973.

Following his residency, Dr. Kidder served his country as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve in the 1970s as Chief of Otolaryngology at Great Lakes. He later continued his military service in the United States Army Reserve, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and receiving the Army Commendation Medal in 1991.

Dr. Kidder devoted 17 years to private practice in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in Milwaukee from the mid-1970s through 1990. That same year, he joined the full-time faculty of the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he would serve for decades as a dedicated educator, clinician, and leader. Over the years, he rose through the academic ranks to become Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences in 2005.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Dr. Kidder held numerous leadership roles at the Medical College of Wisconsin, including Clinical Vice Chairman of his department and later Residency Program Director. He served on the Admissions Committee, ultimately as Chairman, and participated in countless institutional committees, search committees, and graduate medical education councils. He was deeply committed to shaping the next generation of physicians, serving as Clerkship Director and Career Advisor for many years and mentoring medical students, residents, and physician assistant students. Both a department teaching and mentoring award are named in his honor.

His excellence in teaching was recognized with multiple honors, including a Lifetime Teaching Award in 2000 for decades of continuous instruction, election to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society as a faculty member in 2006, and additional faculty teaching awards in later years. He was also named among Milwaukee's "Top Doctors" and "Best Doctors" on multiple occasions beginning in the 1990s and continuing into the 2010s.

Dr. Kidder was a Fellow and Life Member of the American College of Surgeons and an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the American Head and Neck Society, and many regional and national medical societies. He served in leadership roles at the local, state, and national levels, contributing significantly to professional liability committees and risk management initiatives throughout the 1990s and beyond. He also served for many years as Medical Director of the Wisconsin Lions Hearing Program, reflecting his deep commitment to service.

Clinically, he was known for his expertise in disorders of the ear, nose, and throat, as well as his work with cleft palate and pediatric airway teams. He held staff privileges at numerous Milwaukee-area hospitals and was widely respected by colleagues and patients alike.

Away from his medical work, Tom loved traveling and cherished the outdoors, especially the mountains. He loved fishing and took pleasure in planning each outing, enjoying the quiet moments it offered-even if the fish rarely cooperated. He also enjoyed photography, snorkeling and horseback riding. He was an avid reader, often reading several books at once. He thought Peter Sellers as the Pink Panther was the height of comedy. Above all, he treasured time spent with his grandchildren, who brought him immense pride and happiness.

Dr. Kidder will be remembered as a gentle and kind man who treated every patient with respect and dignity. He communicated with compassion and clarity, always placing his patients' needs first. A man of deep faith, Tom relied on that faith throughout his life, in times of both joy and challenge.

Memorial visitation at the Funeral Home Thursday, February 19, 2026 from 4-7 PM. Prayer Service at 7PM. Visitation Also Friday from 10-11 AM at St. Matthew Parish in the Little Brick Church, 9303 S Chicago Rd, Oak Creek, WI. Mass of Christian Burial at 11AM. Military Honors and Interment to follow at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Dr. Kidder's name may be made to the Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Kidder Endowed Mentorship Fund at the Medical College of Wisconsin.https://www.mcw.edu/departments/ent-Ear-Nose-Throat/giving

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