Thomas William Brell

1926 - 2024

Thomas William Brell

Thomas "Tom" William Brell, 97, died on June 7, 2024. Tom was a son, grandson, brother, brother-in-law, husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, great-uncle, and friend to many. He was also an avid reader, athlete, Navy veteran, CPA, business owner, tennis coach, Rotarian, devout Catholic, and a dedicated, long serving community volunteer and leader. A resident of Maumee for over 90 years, his final residence was at Ohio Living - Swan Creek, Toledo. He was member of and generous donor to Maumee St. Joseph Parish all his life, serving in numerous volunteer and leadership roles; he often attended Mass several times weekly. In 2005 he and his wife, Joanne (nee Seidel), were recognized by the City of Maumee as Outstanding Citizens of the Year. He was honored to be inducted into the Maumee High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Extremely gregarious it seemed no matter where he was in the world Tom knew someone. He made friends easily. Joanne frequently referred to him, not always lovingly, as "Tommy Talk." In his later years he enjoyed ending his day with Jim Beam, over ice, with a splash of water.

Born on July 7, 1926, to Clarence and Bernice (nee Fike) Brell in Tiffin, OH, his parents moved to Maumee, Clarence's hometown, when Tom was very young. He was the eldest of five strong-willed (bossy) and active siblings, all of whom he outlived. Growing up during the Depression, Tom drove a truck on his maternal grandparent's farm near Bloomville, OH, long before he turned 16, delivered groceries for his Uncle Peter Brell, owner of a grocery store on East John Street in uptown Maumee and worked at Boellner's gas station, on the corner of Illinois Avenue and Conant Street, Maumee. He remembered sledding on Mouen's Hill, a place well known to Maumee residents born before the 1980s! He attended grade school at St. Joseph's and then Maumee High School, where he earned nine varsity letters in football, basketball and track. His favorite high school coach, Cliff Conrad, was a role model to Tom. While a self-described average high school student, Tom remained ever appreciative for the excellent education he received from Maumee Schools. Immediately upon graduation in 1944, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as a Signalman Second Class in the later part of World War II, primarily in the Pacific Theater onboard the SS Selma Victory and the SS Tilimook. Later in life Tom reconnected with a few of his shipmates thanks to the internet, and they exchanged correspondence for many years. As a member of the Greatest Generation, his military service was a particularly significant and high point of his life. His favorite saying was "I know what goes, I was in the Navy." He loved his 2012 Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C.

Returning from the Navy in June 1946, he pursued post-secondary education at various institutions, including two years at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana where he won varsity letters in tennis and the following year at a Catholic seminary in Newburgh, New York to become a priest (that didn't happen!). He eventually graduated from Toledo University in June, 1952, with a B.A. in economics, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. A story he often told was that he had to "bribe" his Spanish professor with flowers to get a passing grade in her class so he could graduate – a good gesture as a few days after graduation he married Joanne, and had a wife to support. Tom and Joanne became parents to Mary Bridget, Mary Rebecca "Becky", and Mary Gretchen, for whom they provided a loving, nurturing and stable family life. Service to their community, church, and others was a way of life. They were blessed with four grandchildren, all of whom lived within blocks of "Jo and Grandpa's" home during their growing-up years, thus visiting their grandparents almost daily. Tom and Joanne had been married for 53 years upon her death in 2005.

In 1963, after working for several local businesses and a national accounting firm, Tom opened his own CPA firm. For more than 25 years he was in practice with various business partners, always providing high quality service to his clients, many of whom became close personal friends. Tom retired from Brell, Holt and Co. in 1989. As a young business owner in Adams Township, Tom joined the Reynolds Corners Rotary Club, over the years serving twice as President and multiple years as Program Committee Chair. His outgoing personality, with an extensive circle of friends and acquaintances, served him well in this later position, as it required securing an "interesting" speaker for the weekly Club meetings. He remained a Rotarian until a few years ago, as a member of the Reynolds Corners or Maumee Clubs.

While short in stature Tom was an outstanding athlete (although a golfer he was not), but he loved, loved, loved tennis. Most of his adult life he was a well-known local, regional, state and national player, competing into his 80s, and equally as important making numerous life-long friendships. As a retiree, he coached boys' varsity tennis at Central Catholic High School for over eight years, was the first tennis coach for St. John's Jesuit (SJJ) Academy and an assistant tennis coach at Notre Dame Academy. He frequently sent congratulatory notes to his SJJ Academy players who achieved success as high school players. After retiring from coaching, he often received Christmas cards, graduation announcements, wedding invitations and birth announcements from the young men and women whom he coached. He did not coach for a salary, but for the opportunity to share his passion for tennis and how it prepares young people for life - to help them focus, to learn to play fair, but that life is not always fair, and to facilitate relationships.

In addition to his wife, siblings and sisters-and-brothers-in-law, Tom was predeceased by daughter Becky Brell Heater in 2014 and son-in-law Rich Schroeder (Gretchen's husband) in 2017. Survivors include daughters Bridget Brell Holt (Daniel Eickholt) and Gretchen Brell Zientek (Richard Heine); son-in-law Tom Heater; grandchildren Rachael Holt Gray (Peter), Benjamin Holt, Jillian Zientek Walz (Emily) and Natasha Zientek Jones (Anthony); great-grandchildren Henry, George, Clara and Sylvia Gray, Simone Walz and Joanne Jones; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by Barbara Creque, with whom he enjoyed many special years.

His family is most grateful to Ohio Living-Swan Creek for the seven and a half years of wonderful continuum of care its staff provided to Tom, especially during the prime COVID years and his mental and physical decline the past few years. Special recognition to Ohio Living My Independence aide Linda M., who ensured he was well groomed for Sunday Mass, to De'Siree S. from Village Caregivers, who in her few short weeks as his afternoon aide lovingly cared for him despite him kicking her out of his apartment her first day on the job, and to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Toledo which provided professional services and specialized equipment to Tom the final year of his life.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions are appreciated to the Brell Fund at the Greater Toledo Community Foundation (https://toledocf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list); 300 Madison Ave., Suite 1300; Toledo, OH 43604. A memorial Mass celebrating Tom's life will be Saturday, June 29 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, 104 W. Broadway St., Maumee. Visitation in the Church from 9:30-10:30 a.m. A luncheon at St. Joseph's will immediately follow Mass, with burial following the luncheon at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Condolences may be made to the family at

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