Thomas Gilmore Obituary

Thomas Hanson "Tom" Gilmore ObituaryThomas "Tom" Gilmore, age 93, passed away on Friday, the 4th of July 2025 in Spring Park, Minnesota.
Tom was born in Blackduck, Minnesota to the late Thora and Forrest Gilmore, Sr. He was the middle of three children. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Gloria Shimoko and his brother Forrest Gilmore, Jr. Tom attended Cedar Park School on Hines Road until he moved to Hawaii in 1939. His family spent three years in Honolulu while his father and brother were employed by Pearl Harbor as civilian machinists. Tom was a witness to the attack on Pearl Harbor when he was 10 years old. In 1942 the family returned to their Blackduck Lake homestead. Tom attended Blackduck school, graduating in 1951.
Tom joined the US Army, serving from 1953-1956 on active duty. He was stationed primarily at Camp Hale Colorado in the Army's Mountain and Cold Weather Training Command, teaching Special Forces paratroopers winter survival techniques. He stayed in the Army Reserves until retiring as Master Sergeant E-8 in 1991. While in Colorado, he met his first wife Janice; they were married 1956. They moved back to Minnesota and lived in Eden Prairie for 30 years They had three children together. Tom and Jan divorced in 1981 but continued to co-parent.
Tom attended the Dunwoody Institute and graduated with a civil engineering certification. He worked for the City of Minneapolis for six months and then for Hennepin County Highway Department as a road and bridge inspector until retiring in 1988.
Tom met Shirley Olson at a community square dance and they married in1988. They moved north to the five-generations property and into a newly built home on the Blackduck Lake 40 acres. They spent 34 years enjoying the wooded property and the nearby Chippewa National Forest. Together they loved sitting on the deck watching the lake, 4-wheeling and snowmobiling, and in the early years, skiing, snowshoeing and dancing at every opportunity. They enjoyed having the family gather in Blackduck. Tom enjoyed playing UNO with the kids and playing his harmonica for the family. Tom's hobbies were hunting, fishing, studying hunting and fishing regulations, cutting firewood and having coffee with the guys at the Senior Center.
Community memberships included the American Legion Blackduck Post 372, Blackduck Senior Center, Paul Bunyan Amateur Radio Club (KC0OQY), and Beltrami County Community Guard. He volunteered for American Legion Honor Guard and Beltrami County Emergency Management. He attended Zion Lutheran Church and First Presbyterian Church in Blackduck.
A highlight of his retirement was being hired for 42 days as a fire lookout on Mt Washburn in Yellowstone National Park. He met travelers from all over the world who hiked up the mountain trail to the visitor observation deck. Shirley stayed with him the first nine days, and his daughter Tamara joined him on his last day at the lookout. Together Tamara and Tom viewed the Perseid Meteor Showers from that amazing viewpoint.
In 2022 Tom and Shirley moved to Spring Park, MN for a second phase of retirement. He enjoyed the relief of less property maintenance and took advantage of all of the interesting activities available to him at his new residence. There he met new friends and he especially enjoyed having coffee with the guys at 3:00 pm.
Tom is survived by his wife Shirley; his children David (Rosanne) Gilmore, Catherine (Steve) Long, and Tamara (Scott) Sather; grandchildren Ashley (Casey) Darkenwald, Keaton (Shay) Long, Sonja Long, Simon Long, Anika Sather, Eric Sather, Lily Sather; great grandchildren Isabella Darkenwald, Kane Darkenwald, and Odin Darkenwald, sister-in-law Betty (Vic) Campbell; six nieces and a nephew.
A memorial service in Spring Park and graveside ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery, Blackduck MN will be scheduled at a later date with prior publicity.
In lieu of flowers you may send a memorial in memory of Tom to the charity/organization of your choice, or consider:
Presbyterian Homes and Services
2845 Hamline Ave N
Roseville, MN 55113
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First Presbyterian Church
PO Box 478
Blackduck, MN 56630
Thomas "Tom" Gilmore, age 93, passed away on Friday, the 4th of July 2025 in Spring Park, Minnesota.
Tom was born in Blackduck, Minnesota to the late Thora and Forrest Gilmore, Sr. He was the middle of three children. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Gloria Shimoko and his brother Forrest Gilmore, Jr. Tom atte