Thomas George Krause

Mr. Krause was born May 7, 1947, son of the late George Krause and Clarice Miller Krause, and grew up on the Jersey Shore in Lincroft. As an Eagle Scout, he was always prepared. As an army veteran, he was always patriotic. And as a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, he was a Sooner for life. Mr. Krause followed a successful career in banking and investments with a highly successful retirement.

Tom is remembered as a strong and kind gentleman with a sly sense of humor. He treasured spending time with friends and family and savored all of life’s joyous moments, big and small. He loved the rituals of morning coffee on the deck and afternoon cocktails on the porch. Tom appreciated a good snack, a great meal (especially Italian and Cajun food), and a well-deserved snooze. He cherished summer vacations with his family on a lake or at the beach. He prized the time with his beloved Springer Spaniel companion Jessie.

Tom had a lifelong passion for anything with a motor, and never had enough garage space. He loved cars – working on them, driving them, reading magazines about them, flipping through parts catalogs, or watching how-to shows, drag races and auctions on tv. He made great friends at car clubs, and loved joining them at car shows and cruises. He put blood, sweat, and tears into his 1970 Chevy Chevelle and 1970 Corvette Stingray, but also found a place in his heart for a late-model Ford Mustang convertible. He was always at home on the water, whether it was going full throttle in his Nordic flat-bottomed jet boat or slowly cruising the Intracoastal Waterway in his Carolina Skiff.

Tom is survived by his loving wife, Laila Krause of Carolina Shores; children, Michael Batz and wife Margaret of Rock Island, Illinois and Robert Batz and wife Katrin-Sophie of Vienna, Austria; brother, Neal Krause and wife Maria of Bloomington, Indiana; sister, June Conti and husband Adam of Atlanta, Georgia; three grandchildren, Elliot Batz, Rory Batz, and Ada Batz; sister-in-law, Lisa Brennan and partner Michael Brown; and Jessie Dog.

Tom’s death follows a courageous five year battle with pancreatic cancer and Parkinson’s Disease. His family is so very grateful for the cancer-free times these last few years when he could travel and fully enjoy seeing friends and loved ones. They would like to express special thanks to the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Alok Khorana, as well as to Dr. Eric Klein, Dr. Anantha Reddy, Dr. Xin Xin Yu, Dr. Ehsan Balagamwala, and Tom’s hospice nurse Debi Buffington.

A memorial service will be held Friday, September 10, 2021 at eleven o’clock in the morning at White Funeral and Cremation Service, 3660 Express Drive, Shallotte, North Carolina.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be sent to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the charity of your choice.

You may offer online condolences at www.shallottefunerals.com

White Funeral and Cremation Service, 3660 Express Drive, Shallotte, North Carolina.