Thomas F. MacNAUGHTON

1949 - 2019

MacNAUGHTON, Thomas F. (Age 70) Tom MacNaughton lived a rich and fascinating life. He was an entrepreneur, artist, adventurer, husband, father, son, brother and friend to many. He marched to the beat of his own drum, trail-blazing his way through life, journeying on his own unique path. He made us laugh with his dry and witty, often sarcastic, sense of humor. He was a true artist who created unique artwork with sound, light, wood, metals, crystals, tiles, rocks, plants and so much more. His art inspired many people to look at life with a new perspective. Tom left this world on a scenic Arizona canyon road, due to a motorcycle accident caused by a deer on April 26, 2019, one day after his 70th birthday. While his departure from this world was too soon for his family, what remains in our hearts is the love, gratitude and appreciation we have for him. Tom's favorite expression was, "There's no reason why this can't be fun!" He was born in Spokane on April 25, 1949 to Donald and Velma (Val Seely) MacNaughton. Tom and his sister Linda moved with the family several times living in Montana and Iowa as their father, Don worked as a traveling salesman. The family eventually returned to Spokane. Tom graduated from North Central High School in 1968. He attended Western Washington University and graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1972. He liked to say that the best day of his life was when his daughter, Jessica was born (1976). Tom would say his second best day was when his son, Joshua was born (1978). He was married to Elizabeth Wightman (1971). Tom and Monica (Johnson) were married June 1985 and his third best day was when Sean was born (1988). His passion for designing and building projects played a key role throughout his life. As a young man, his first project was a one-of-a-kind Teepee long home he built utilizing logs from the Indian Longhouse featured at the first environmentally themed world's fair, Expo '74. For several years in the 1970s, Tom worked as a brakeman for the railroads. In the 1980s he enjoyed spending time with his family at his parent's Loon Lake cabin. In 1982, Tom and his father began Americat in Spokane where they designed tents, awnings, signage and giant balloons. Tom and his father recovered the famous Butterflies in Riverfront Park. Tom, Monica and Sean later relocated to Florida and began Southern Balloon Works. In the 1990s, they manufactured giant advertising balloons, blimps and remote control blimps with cameras. They created unique designs for more than a few famous customers including a giant remote control shark for a Jimmy Buffet concert. Retiring in 2007, Tom and Monica enjoyed traveling to many international destinations and relocated to Cuenca, Ecuador where they lived for four years. Tom loved immersing himself in the culture of Ecuador and traveling throughout South America. Tom and Monica eventually returned to the U.S. where they split their time between Coeur d'Alene and Arizona. Tom's art flourished in his 60s. He was always experimenting with new materials and different themes. He carved large wood pieces, designed wall hangings which were cleverly hidden stereo speakers and created unique southwestern and spirit designs printed onto metal plates. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Don and Val and his little brother, Ronnie. He is survived by his beloved children Jessica, Joshua and Sean (Roselinda) and granddaughters, Terrlinda and Alexandra. He is also survived by his wife of 34 years, Monica and sister, Linda. A "Celebration of Life" for Tom will be held on Sunday, July 21st in Coeur d'Alene. Email to tomsbbqpicnic@gmail.com for time and location. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: www.kootenaihumanesociety.com or the Nature Conservancy's "Plant a Billion Trees" program at: www.nature.org.