Thomas James Hauptman was born to Harry C and Louise B (Jefferson) Hauptman on August 11, 1942 in Denver, CO. He had 2 brothers, Jack and Harry and sister, Ellen. They later moved to Omaha, NE where he graduated from Omaha South High School In 1960. While in high school, he was a lifeguard during the summers. TJ, as known by his family, enlisted in the United States Navy on July 21, 1961. Tom later married Sharon Kay (Johnson) on October 9, 1961. He was stationed on the USS Salisbury Sound out of Alameda, CA. He was a meteorologist while serving in the Navy. His first daughter, Julie, was born August 23, 1962. Their reunion was captured by a photo in the newspaper when his ship docked. His second daughter, Lisa, joined the family on March 4, 1967. He served in the Navy until July 19, 1968. The family lived in Hayward, CA while Tom earned his degree in Accounting from Chabot College in Hayward. They later moved back to Omaha, NE in 1973 to be closer to family. He took a position with ConAgra, Inc. until he retired after 25 years in 1998. Tom belonged to Castelar Presbyterian Church in Omaha and later became a member of Church of Christ in Council Bluffs, IA. He was part of Toastmasters, volunteered as a leader in Junior Achievement, was on a bowling team for many years, played softball and square danced. He loved his family, Husker football, Paul Harvey, woodworking and investing in stocks and bonds. He had 4 grandchildren; John (Karina}, Jessica (William), Sara and Rachel. When Tom was asked how he would like to be remembered, he said he wanted to be remembered as a good person.
Preceded in death by parents Harry and Louise; Survived by loving wife of 57 years Sharon; children Julie (Dan) Bruner and Lisa (Mitch) Dollen; brothers Harry (Shirley) and Jack; sister Ellen Bolen; grandchildren John (Karina) Dollen, Jessica (William) Panec, Sara Dollen, Rachel Dollen; many family and friends. Visitation will be Monday, Dec 10, from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Westlawn Hillcrest Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be Tuesday, Dec 11, at Church of Christ (1525 McPherson Ave, Council Bluffs, IA) at 11am. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be donated to the Alzheimer's Association or the Eastern Nebraska Veteran's Home.
