Thomas Kerrigan

1938 - 2020

KERRIGAN, Thomas

81, of Albuquerque, NM passed away on January 25, 2020 at the Woodmark at Uptown facility. He was born in La Crosse, WI on April 8, 1938 to Maleta (Schulenburg) and Bernard Kerrigan. He was preceded in death by his parents and six of his siblings, Robert (Mary) Kerrigan of Portland, OR, William (Alys) Kerrigan, Jean (George) Kihm, and James (Mary Lee) Kerrigan, all of La Crosse, WI, Richard (Jean) Kerrigan of Rochester, MN, and an infant brother, Daniel of Hokah, MN, by his niece, Patricia Kuzen of Waimea (Kauai), HI, and by three nephews, Douglas Kerrigan, John Kihm and Francis Kihm, all of La Crosse, WI. He is survived by his sister, Marian (Norm) Horning of Richfield, MN; many nieces and nephews, and his friend and former wife, Geraldine Kerrigan of Kahualui (Maui), Hawaii.

Artistic expression was Tom's strong suit. He was an exceptional piano player and a talented professional ceramic artist. For much of his adult life he split his time between Duluth, MN where he headed the Department of Art at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Tucson, AZ where he had a studio. Many of Tom's pieces were inspired by the settings of his two residences, one near the Lake Superior shore and the other in the Sonoran Desert. In an interview Tom stated that his journey into the world of art started in a serendipitous way when he took an art elective in his junior year at La Crosse State University (now the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse). He explained how through that class he connected art and emotion in a powerful way, opening a door to his world of creative expression. He changed his major to art, graduating from the university in La Crosse, then moving on to Ohio University where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree, launching his professional art career. He taught at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, later moving to his academic position in Duluth.

Tom's work is known across the globe, with his pieces having been displayed in museums nationwide, including those in Columbus, OH, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Tucson, as well as in Australia, Canada, Latvia, Mexico, Russia, and Uzbekistan. For many years he was artist-in-residence at Australian National University in Canberra. Though we will miss him greatly, with the wide dissemination of his art, Tom leaves a legacy of his creative talent that continues to touch viewers on several continents.

A Memorial Service for Tom will be held in La Crosse, WI on Saturday, February 29, 2020.