Thomas Henry Wake

Thomas Henry Wake, born in Webster, South Dakota on October 4th, 1940, passed away on December 31st, 2025 at the age of 85. He lived a full and vibrant life, marked by his love for family and dedication to his community.

As a young child in Pierpont, South Dakota, Thomas enjoyed growing up in a small town of fewer than 250 people alongside his older brother David and younger sister Marcia. His father Tom and mother Ina (Solem) relocated to Parkland, WA in 1956, where Thomas would finish his schooling, and eventually graduate from Pacific Lutheran College with a degree in Economics.

Thomas, a veteran, served in the United States Navy for two years from 1960-1962, actively deployed aboard the USS Ranger. Afterwards, he worked his adult life as a purchasing manager for the Robbins Company, specializing in tunnel-boring machinery while living in Seattle’s North Hill area.

Anticipating his “next chapter”, he purchased land in the Skagit Valley at the base of Blanchard Mountain along Chuckanut Drive. Here he would design his dream home in the timber-framing style which would go on to be featured as an example of fine craftsmanship in a number of magazines and publications. In the Bow/Edison township, Thomas spent the following decades building community with his church, local growers in the orchard society, and with a grateful legion of paragliders to whom he opened his acreage as a welcome landing-pad and meeting place. All of these communities came to be like additional family to Thomas, and shared generous life together with him in regular rhythm year after year.

From a young age, Thomas was an avid collector of beautiful quality things and historic objects. Stereo-views and photographs were an early passion for him, alongside craftsman furniture and pottery. In later years he would come to specialize in historic regional pieces of the hammered-copper master Albert Berry, becoming the foremost expert and owner of his works.

More than anything else, Thomas treasured his family. He never missed the chance to hop in his Porsche to travel south for a birthday party, music concert, or Christmas Eve. He shared life and connection with his brother and sister throughout their lives with regular weekly phone calls, filled with discussion, various agreement (or otherwise), and much good laughter.

A lifelong bachelor with no children, he is survived by his sister Marcia (Wake) Sherry, and his four nieces and nephews - Tom Wake (son of brother David and sister-in-law Marvalee) and Cooper Sherry, Peter Sherry, and Colette Stewart (all children of sister Marcia and brother-in-law Tim Sherry).

We miss him immensely. We are so grateful for his life among us.

A link to his celebration of life/memorial service can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vOcEzn2EZ8

An online guestbook may be found below.