Thomas Leo Semlak

Deacon Thomas Leo Semlak “Tom” Age 75 of Oakdale ~ Formerly of St. Paul’s Eastside Tom was born in St. Paul on September 7, 1940, to Irene (nee Jechorek) and Leo Semlak. He attended St. Casimir Catholic School and was raised within St. Casimir Catholic Church. Tom was a very social man and his mother even talked about him chatting to strangers in the street when he was a child. Following graduation, he went to work for The Pizza Kitchen and later Brown & Bigelow. His sister, Marge, introduced him to a coworker and friend named Margie Tobias. He and Margie were married at St. Casimir Catholic Church on April 18, 1964. After over 20 years at Brown & Bigelow, Tom went to work for 3M. He was able to retire early to pursue his calling of becoming an ordained Catholic Deacon. He worked with three churches over his 21 years as a Deacon, including St. Casimir Catholic Church, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, and most recently, St. Pius X Catholic Church. He was a devout volunteer at church and was a part of the ushers group, the Church Council, RCIA, and the Knights of Columbus. When he was not working or volunteering at church, he enjoyed fishing, gardening his flower and vegetable gardens, working on his landscaping, bowling, playing cribbage while having a beer, and fishing with his sons. Tom’s yard will always be remembered for being the best yard on the block, or even, the best yard in St. Paul. He had a memorable personality and a unique sense of humor. Tom was a jokester and gave every person in his life a bizarre and silly nickname. He could never answer a question with a simple “yes” or “no” and punished his children with hour long lectures whenever they did something wrong. He always had a sense of style and would never go anywhere without his Florsheim wingtips polished. He will truly be missed by all those whose lives he touched. Tom passed away on December 8, 2015 after a long battle with diabetes and heart troubles. He was preceded in death by his parents, Irene and Leo Semlak; and his brother, Gregory Semlak. He will be dearly missed by his wife of over 51 years, Margie Semlak; his daughters, Cori (Kevin) Schuyler of Woodbury and Terri (Mark) Meis of Oakdale; his two sons, Jim (Lisa Beth) Semlak of Scandia and Craig (Lisa Marie) Semlak of Oakdale; his grandchildren, Lauren Schuyler, Dan Schuyler, Donny Schuyler, Brad Meis, Jake Meis, Kacey Meis, Matthew Semlak, Zach Semlak, Alec Semlak, Hannah Semlak, and Josh Semlak; his honorary grandchildren, Justin and Emily Holmberg; his sisters, Chris (Mike) Engen and Marge Stelter; his dog, Little Bear; and many other family and friends. There will be a gathering for friends and family from 3:00-6:00PM on Sunday, December 13, 2015 at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 3878 Highland Ave., White Bear Lake. There will be a second gathering from 10:30-11:30AM on Monday, December 14, 2015 at the church with the Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11:30AM. Interment at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights. In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, or to the Church of St. Pius X.