| Graduation Year | Class of 1963 |
| Date of Birth | Dec 26, 1944 |
| Date of Passing | Mar 30, 2023 |
| About | Thomas Edward Ziegler, age 78, born December 26, 1944, in Lansing, Michigan to Fern Louise (Wright) Ziegler and Edward Charles Ziegler. Died March 30, 2023, at home in Leslie, Michigan, surrounded by his loving family. Dad, Husband, Brother, Uncle, Grandpa, Friend to all, Mentor, Outdoorsman, Woodsman, Builder of roads/houses/cabins/barns, Carpenter, Artistic, Designer, Visionary, Fixer of all things needing to be fixed, Repairman, Navy man, Scoutmaster, Storyteller, Traveler, Adventurer, Master at using the chain saw, Problem solver, Mechanic; the list is endless. Enthusiastic, positive, optimistic, and adventurous are words which describe Tom. He lived by the 12 principles of the Scout Law. Friend Bob used the words humility, kindness, integrity, courage and 10-star man to describe Thomas. Always prepared for anything. Tom first lived in Lansing on Willow St. His family moved to a home on Lake Lansing Rd. in Haslett when he was still young. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas school in his primary school years through 8th grade. In recent years he reconnected with classmates from St. Thomas and looked forward to their monthly lunches and outings. Tom graduated from Haslett High School in 1963. Tom was a few years younger than his beloved sisters, and, as they married and had children, he grew up surrounded by nieces and nephews. He spent much time with his sisters, their spouses, and families. With his nieces and nephews, they would collect 2 cent bottles along Lake Lansing Rd. and go to the drive-in movies with family on the weekends. Staying at sister Barb’s house with his nieces and nephews, sitting for sister Shirley’s children and making them french-fries with gravy. Sister Joyce gave him his first bow with arrows (which he still has) and made him a red shirt with cowboy piping. Thomas and his 3 sisters enjoyed making wonderful memories on a cruise to Alaska a few years ago. Thomas loved swamps, water and woods, and spent many hours playing and exploring the swamp and woods behind his family home on Lake Lansing Rd. He made rafts, built forts, pretended he was a pirate and buried his grandmothers’ jewelry, in a jar, in the back yard (never to be found). Anyone who knows Thomas knows of his love for the outdoors. Tom was always ambitious, energetic, and full of imagination. He began caddying at Walnut Hills Country Club at 12 years old, which lead to a lifelong love of golf. He was not a large person, but he would double bag for golf outings to earn more money, which he saved to purchase his first vehicle, a Ford Fairlane. Thomas was a Ford man his entire life. Tom participated in racing during his teen years and has 1964 trophy from Onondaga Dragway. Another activity in his teen years was boxing with a local Golden Gloves club. After graduating from high school in 1963, Tom went to work for Melling Drop Forge along side his dad. Through his contacts while caddying at the country club, he was offered a job as a janitor working at Michigan State Highway Department. Through those contacts, Tom was hired to work as an Inspector 03 in the road and bridge construction division. He started work on the original building of M-99 from Hillsdale to the state line. He found a career that he loved for over 51 years, building and rebuilding our state’s road and bridge infrastructure. For almost 40 years, he worked in various MSHD, MDSH, MDSH&T & MDOT field offices: Charlotte building original I-69, Carlton building original I-275, Lansing building original I-496, and spent 25 years working out of 3 different field offices in Jackson. In addition to working on many US roads and M roads in the counties of Jackson, Ingham, Calhoun, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Monroe, and Lenawee, he worked extensively on the I-94 corridor from Albion to Ann Arbor on concrete and asphalt paving projects, reconstructions, safety upgrades, and bridge projects. During his years with MDOT, he pursued and graduated from Lansing Community College with an associates degree in Civil Engineering Technology. In 1997, he took the position of statewide bituminous paving specialist and traveled around the state assisting, teaching, and mentoring others on asphalt paving projects. His favorite projects to visit were, of course, in the UP, but he enjoyed working with and meeting a multitude of MDOT, local government, consultant, and contractor personnel around the state over the years. He was respected and valued by his coworkers and contractors, and truly relished what he did every day. A natural teacher, Tom enjoyed teaching classes to others of the specialties and nuances of asphalt paving operations. Fantastic at mentoring his coworkers and helping them be successful in their careers. Thomas was particularly proud of being a member of the team evaluating asphalt paving projects all over the state for the yearly joint MDOT and MAPA/APAM awards ceremony. A true highlight of Tom’s career at MDOT was being able to view the Straits of Mackinac from atop the towers of the Mighty Mac bridge. Retiring from MDOT after almost 40 years, he worked for Wilcox Associates for a brief time, then worked for Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB)/WSP for over 11 years, continuing to build and rebuilding our state’s road and bridge infrastructure. While working for PB, he traveled to Honduras and Nicaragua as part of the Millennial Challenge project to build road infrastructure in these countries so people could get their goods to market. Thomas loved his work. He was an absolute master and legend as an engineering construction field technician. Tom was incredibly proud to serve our country in the U. S. Navy from 1966 to 1969. He was stationed at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, FL. and then Alameda Naval Air Station in Alameda, CA. He served on the USS Oriskany as an Aviation Ordinance man on the flight deck. He loved the position, teamwork, and action required to do the job. Thomas raised 2 daughters, Christine and Kelly, with Marlene Graham. In 1996, he married Mary Crowl, and they had a son, David. Tom loved attending his children’s sporting and school events, and being a father was the greatest joy of his life. All his children have wonderful memories of travels, and visits to Disney World, where Tom loved to go as much as his children did. Tom instilled a love of the outdoors in his children, and nieces and nephews, by taking them on outings in the woods, cooking meals outdoors, camping and canoeing with them, and taking hunting trips for deer, pheasant, rabbit, squirrels and turkeys in the Michigan woods. He was incredibly proud of his children and loved them without measure. Thomas was a consummate outdoorsman and woodsman. He hunted, fished, and ice fished in Michigan during all open seasons for deer, bear, rabbits, squirrels, pheasants, and turkeys. Trips and hunts to Colorado and Wyoming for mule deer and elk. He had many successful hunts, and lasting memories of hunting and hunt camp with Ken, Fred, Brian, Duke, Jack, Jen, Rod, Carol as well as his children and other friends. Tom extended his love of the outdoors and all things in God’s beautiful work by serving as a Scoutmaster in Leslie from 2007 to 2016. Helping boys work on merit badges, mentoring them to feel comfortable in being outdoors camping, cooking, and hiking, understanding and identifying all things in our outdoor world. He particularly enjoyed achieving his Wood Badge, winter camping and building igloos for camping overnight on frozen lakes. Thomas, David, and Mary tent camped and traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada, regardless of the weather, visiting friends and family. Many Christmas celebrations were in New Mexico with dear friend Maj-Liz and her family. Geology trips “out west”, trips to all corners of the U.S. They also traveled to Europe and Asia visiting friends, foreign exchange students and their families, and just to travel. As a family, they hosted high school students from countries all over the world and took them on travel adventures throughout the United States. Many of those students have returned and revisited Michigan. Traveling adventures were a huge part of Tom and Mary’s life. An absolute favorite trip was driving to Alaska, following US 2 across the upper part of the U.S, and taking the Alaska State Ferry through the inland waterway to the Alaska mainland. 2 months in the truck, camping along the way, back home through Canada. A camping trip years ago to the Upper Peninsula resulted in purchasing property along Lake Michigan on the Garden Peninsula. Tom, always the mastermind, visionary builder and planner, began construction of a cedar log cabin structure with David and Mary’s help. Friend Jack worked with Tom to add an additional room and a covered porch in the ensuing years. Last year, Thomas built another cabin on the property, and agreed to allow electricity to infiltrate his beloved Camp Porcupine! He spent as much time as possible at Camp Porcupine, many times with niece Carol, and loved cutting and stacking wood for burning in the fireplace and at the campfire. Tom had a wide circle of friends and acquaintances in the U.P. Whether you were a new acquaintance, coworker, friend or family member, Tom greeted you with twinkling blue eyes, a smile, a handshake, or a hug. Most certainly there would be an offer of a cup of coffee, whether it was around the kitchen table, campfire, or at a restaurant. Tom loved his coffee, and generally had a cup of it in his hand. Stories. Thomas had story after story about family, friends, work, hunting, traveling, working on tasks at home, building ‘anything’. Tom and Mary’s partnership extended into their community with volunteer efforts in various activities. They worked together over the years on many road and bridge projects. For Mary, Tom was her husband, partner, best friend, adventure buddy, true companion and “the wind beneath her wings”. Together, they had a fantastic life and were an incredible, invincible team. There was nothing they could not accomplish or face together. Thomas was a man of quiet faith, a believer in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He loved the beauty and majesty of God’s world. Tom was preceded in death by parents Edward Ziegler, Fern Ziegler Schroeder and Albert Schroeder; grandson Cayman Frost; and sister, Shirley Drake. Those left to cherish his memory and loved him so much: Mary Louise Crowl, spouse of 27 years, son David Ziegler-Crowl, daughters Christine L. Ziegler, Kelly R. Frost; grandchildren Lucia and Caico Frost; sisters Barbara LeRoy and Joyce Farmer; much loved nieces and nephews, including Jen Miller and Carol Bahl; many dear friends and lifelong hunting partners, and high school exchange students who have become part of the family. He also leaves his dear Sterle family at the Baseline/Dutch Rd. compound. Services at the Black Barn, 10473 Churchill Rd., Rives Junction, MI. 49277, Sunday, April 16, 2023. Visitation from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Services beginning at 3:00 pm with military recognition. Sustenance following the service. Dress is whatever you feel comfortable in, casual, camouflage welcome. If you have a turkey call, bring it for a final salute to Thomas at the end of the service. In lieu of flowers, please donate to an organization or charity of your choice or donate to a scholarship fund being set up for Leslie High School graduates to assist a student/s who may be pursuing a technical degree or career, a certificate program, or other non-traditional avenue of education after high school. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Vickers Leslie Funeral Home, 109 Church St./P.O. Box 503, Leslie, MI 49251. Christian services provided by Pastor Michael Young of Leslie Congregational United Church of Christ, and nephew Michael Miller. Thomas’ full obituary may be found at www.vickersfuneralhomes.com. Per Thomas’ wishes, he will be cremated and interred to consecrated ground at his beloved Camp Porcupine. |
