Thomas Lee Earnshaw

Thomas Lee Earnshaw was born June 26, 1937 in Kansas City, Kansas to James and Mary Hartman Earnshaw. Tom was the middle of five children, with older sister JoAnn, older brother J.D., and then younger brother Russell and younger sister, Saundra. Tom grew up in Shawnee, Kansas, a town to which the Earnshaw family has great historical significance, as the Earnshaws were among the founding families of Shawnee. The Earnshaws continued generations of family contributions to the town. Tom took great pride in his family’s history.

Tom was predeceased by his parents and siblings.

Tom graduated as vice president of the Class of 1956 from St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in Shawnee, Kansas. He was fond of telling stories about how he would try to convince the nuns, not usually with success, that he had to be excused from class to go and help his father work at the quarries! While high school completed Tom’s formal education, he was hardly an uneducated man. Tom went on to learn how to run heavy construction equipment, drive semi trucks, and perform mechanics, carpentry, gardening, farming, and just about all tasks needed from a husband, daddy, grandpa, and friend. Tom also used his skills to help many a complete stranger whenever and however the opportunities arose.

In 1959, Tom married Nancy Jane Taylor. They made their home in Shawnee, Kansas, where they raised six children: Victoria, Jeff, Kim, Tammy, Cindy, and Andrea. For a few years, Tom supported his growing family by working for Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee. However, the suit and tie routine was not for him, and Tom soon commenced a long career in construction as a heavy equipment operator, a career lasting 31 years, primarily with Max Rieke Brothers Construction, Shawnee, Kansas. Tom’s kids delighted in telling people across the area that “Daddy helped build that!” Tom’s kids were also proud to share, winter after winter, that their daddy had been one of the men on an unheated snow plow, working all night long to clear roads throughout the Kansas City area of the treacherous effects of brutal Midwestern snowstorms. It was typical of Tom to sacrifice his own comfort for the wellbeing of others!

Also during this time, Tom served with the Army National Guard, retiring as a Master Sergeant after 26 years. Tom was a very proud veteran.

During these years, when Tom wasn’t working, he enjoyed attending many softball games and school activities in which his children were involved. Tom loved being one of the dads who would buy pizza for whole groups after these events! Tom and Nancy’s grand Shawnee home became THE gathering place for holidays and other special occasions! And it was open to anybody who needed a place to belong!

In 1986, after the kids were mostly grown, Tom and Nancy “retired” to a farm in Pomona, Franklin County, Kansas. But it would be many more years before Tom really retired! During this time, Tom and Nancy raised horses, sheep, goats, cows, pigs, donkeys, chickens, peacocks, guineas, cats, dogs, exotic birds, and other animals. It was a wonderful place for children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and family friends to visit. It was like going on a field trip to the zoo! As he had for years in Shawnee, Tom also continued cultivating fabulous vegetable and flower gardens. During this time, Tom re-entered the workforce as an over-the-road truck driver, primarily with Dilliard’s, and later worked for the City of Pomona.

In 2003, Tom and Nancy “retired” again to a beautiful newly built home in Queen Creek, Arizona. Tom always said that he was trying to hide from his kids, but it never worked! During these years, Tom worked for Heritage Trucking Company, Mesa, Arizona. It wasn’t until Tom was well into his 70s that he finally REALLY retired.

Tom was always such a hard worker that he never really took vacations. However, in 2005, Tom surprised Nancy with a trip to Sydney, Australia to see their son Jeff and his family. It was a thrill about which Tom never stopped talking!

The vast majority of Tom’s days were “regular” days, which he filled with hard work and simple pleasures, like long car rides, adventures like discovering Quiktrips across the valley where he made new friends, sitting at the park saying his rosary and feeding God’s birds, and trying new restaurants across town. When Tom found a place he liked, it was almost a sure bet that he’d one day buy your meal there, too! Tom always prioritized Saturday evening Mass at St. Michael the Archangel and enjoyed spending time with friends there.

Nancy predeceased Tom in 2014 after 55 years of marriage. At that time, Tom moved to Gilbert, Arizona where he would spend the rest of his life in the lovely home of Andrea and Albert. Up until just a few months before his death, Tom was making trips back to the Midwest to visit family and friends in Kansas and Missouri.

Speaking of family and friends, Tom was known to many more kids than just his own as “Daddy” and “Grandpa.” Likewise, Tom had friends literally across the United States, including former neighbors, classmates, doctors, bankers, employers, coworkers, postal carriers, friends of his kids, pro athletes, convenience store clerks, church members and clergy, restaurant workers and patrons, auctioneers at sales barns, etc. Many, many “chance” encounters with Tom ended up being forever friendships. He was still cultivating these friendships right up until the day he died.

Thomas Lee Earnshaw, 85, of Gilbert, Arizona, formerly of Shawnee, Kansas and Pomona, Kansas, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, surrounded by family and friends…which is exactly how he had lived.

Tom is survived by all of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, as well as by those hundreds, probably thousands, of friends he had made everywhere he went across the country…including Alaska!

Deus benedicat anima tua, Pater