Thomas “Tom” Holtgrave
Thomas “Tom” Martin Holtgrave, 77, of Town & Country, passed away on April 11, 2022, after a short battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family.
Tom was born on August 25, 1944 to the late Patrick Holtgrave and Evelyn (Hagen) in St. Louis, Missouri.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 54 years, Anita Louise (Schroeder); daughters, Rhea Stagner (Derek), Carrie Poulos (John); three grandchildren, Logan Thomas Stagner (15), Audrey Holtgrave Poulos (16) and Ryan John Poulos (13); and his beloved sister, Mary Holtgrave Wessel (Dick).
Tom grew up in North St. Louis County and graduated from Corpus Christi High School in 1962. He attended Southern Illinois University where he graduated from the Edwardsville campus in 1968. Tom served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves from 1968-74.
Tom married Anita on June 13 th , 1967. He described her as his best friend and love of his life. They had two daughters, Rhea and Carrie, and raised their family in Spanish Lake, Missouri.
Tom had a long and successful career as a salesman at John Henry Foster company where he was one of the “Original 5.” He developed lifelong friendships over his 39 years of service.
Tom had a passion for engines that started as a child with building model airplanes. His attention shifted to cars and boats as he got older.
He was an avid boater and spent his summers at Lake of the Ozarks – over 48 years. A legendary host and captain to many families and friends that visited throughout the years, he taught countless kids to water ski and spent endless hours exploring the lake. He was also known for his famous BBQ.
To say Tom had an interest in cars is an understatement. He began repairing and tinkering with cars when he was a teenager. That passion turned to restoring cars when he bought his first Model A in 1981. He then became an active member in the Missouri Valley Region of the Model “A” Restorer’s Club where he held many leadership roles and gained more lifelong friends. Over the course of 40 years, Tom earned the respect of his colleagues for his knowledge of Model A’s. He was the undisputed “go to” guy for any mechanical, body, or upholstery challenge.
Tom was known for being able to build or fix just about anything, a skill and talent so many people relied on and admired. He would tell a story to anyone who would listen, and his fridge was always open to anyone who wanted to stop by to talk shop.
He was a devoted and loving father and husband who created a wonderful life for his family. He will be greatly missed by everyone he touched.
A celebration of life for friends and family will be held on Saturday May 14, 2022, at 11:30am – 3pm at John Mineo’s in Town & Country.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ranken Jordan in Tom’s honor and would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Rhea snd family,
Our heart goes out to you at this sad time.
It’s the saddest of all to be in the front rows of the funeral.
I pray for peace for your lovely dad, and all of you who remain behind.
Rhea, I really have not met you, but I went to school with Tom. He was a really nice fellow. I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my Jim in October of 2020 due to blood cancer. I understand your grief. Love to you and your family. Love Rosetta Powers
Our prayers are with your family during this hard time. Tom will truly be missed by all.
Hello, I was very fortunate to have had a long phone conversation with Tom in Mid March. He shared so much wisdom about his cars with me. It was a great conversation. We talked cars, boats, family, and health. He said he has had a very good life. At the end of the call, (as we hung up) he said, “do me a favor and pray for me”. Of course I did and felt honored to be asked. Our prayers to Tom’s family and friends with love.
I am so sorry for our loss of Tom. Praying for everyone!
Sue and I were shocked and saddened by the news of Tom’s passing. It seems that our occasional gatherings were just not often enough. I cherish the conversations I have had with Tom in recent years. Anita, Tom will remain in our prayers, as well as you and Rhea and Carrie and family. May God be with you in this heartbreaking time. We will look forward to being with you next month.
Tony and Sue Certa
Anita, Rhea, Carrie, and families,
I am so sorry for your loss. Hugs, thoughts, and prayers for you all at this difficult time. I do have several fond memories of being one of those “kids” on the boat in the summer, with Tom as our proud captain, and he would always happily take us for a tour around the lake, and take us water skiing. He was a great human being, and he will be missed!
Love you all,
Andrea (Inman) Slavik
We are so sorry for your loss, and for the entire family.
Tom’s MARC club members and friends will miss him.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.
Gene and Jane Roehl
Sorry for your loss.
Anita & Family:
We are so sorry to hear of your loss of Tom. Our prayers and sympathy is with all of you. We too remember many of the good times we all had at the lake in years past. May he rest in peace.
Tom imparted so much wisdom to all of us at JHF but above all he was an amazing person. He was always willing to answer questions and “teach” . He had an easy gentle way about him that made you want to listen. Whether it was about work, new project, or travels with his car club. I considered him a friend and admired him as a mentor. His name will live on with the utmost respect and he will be honored as one who helped pave the way for this great John Henry Foster family. Thank you Tom for believing in me and giving me a shot when I was just a kid and admittedly knew nothing. Thoughts and prayers for all of Toms family and friends.
The Huber’s
Tom will be missed personally and by our Model A Club. He was always willing to help and helped me more than once with my car. My thoughts and prayers to the family.
Hi Anita and family, Please accept my condolences with Tom’s passing. I am so sorry to learn of his death.
Tom and I were classmates at Corpus Christi High School. He was such a terrific, uplifting colleague. He was always “smile ready” and he meant it. We were not close friends but just being a friend and classmate with Tom made you feel close. A good guy who represented the best that Corpus Christi had to offer. As his obituary so beautifully describes, and as the comments above and those to follow describe, the world was so much enriched by Tom’s 77 years. God must be so proud.
What an amazing life your father had. He had so many talents and was loved by so many. He appeared to bring many people joy throughout his life time. I’m sure he will be greatly missed and always fondly remembered.
We were so sorry to hear of Tom’s passing. I remember the first time I saw him, in our back yard when he was about 12. Tom and my brother Dan Otto were best friends, then I met Tom’s sister Mary, and we also became great friends. A lot of years and a lot of wonderful memories. Tom will be missed by a lot of people.
Tom, like the cars he built, was a classic. I worked with him closely and there are too many fun stories to list but they live on in our hearts and memories. Tom was a consummate professional and he wore suits longer than most with well tied classic neckties. He adhered to some simple philosophies and was truly able to keep things simple in a growingly complex world. He taught me some valuable life lessons like ‘if the lights are on today, it’s a good day,’ and ‘we never eat in any restaurants where the food is made by teenagers,’ but he loved the soup at the Shrine in Belleville. He embraced technology slowly and when forced to use a laptop computer for his job he treated it with quizzical respect, especially the day I opened the back door of his car on one side and he threw the laptop bag into the backseat on the other side watching it slide across the seat and onto the ground. I know Tom will be missed by his family and friends and I value the memories that we created in our short time here.