Thomas E. Etter

Thomas E. Etter. Retired TSGT, US Air Force.

Born 12/20/1931, Died 7/7/2025. Preceded in death by wife, Mary; daughter, Kathy Fuller; parents; 8 brothers and 2 sisters. He leaves behind daughters, May Lou (Ken) Calise, Cindy (Gary) Sokola; sons, Tom (Cindy) Etter and Tim (Chris) Etter; beloved granddaughters, Nicole (Jason) Engman, Stephanie (Mike) Schwietz, Stacy (Joe) Schmitz and the light of his life; great grandchildren, Eli and Weston Schmitz and Sam and Natalie Schwietz. He will also be missed by his brother, Jerry (Janice) Etter; and sister, Joanne Munsterteiger; sisters-in-law, Alice Etter, Pat DeVito and Phyllis England; Goddaughter, Kelly England; and many other nieces, nephews and friends.

Tom served in the Air Force for 21 years as an Air Traffic Controller, retiring in 1972. He was deployed during the Korean and Vietnam wars and received many awards and medals during his time in the service of our country. In Retirement he loved his time traveling with his wife Mary and the winters they spent in Mesa AZ with many good friends, working on cars and watching old western movies. He was kind and caring to all who knew him and never turned down anyone who needed help. He was a devoted husband and the best Dad, Papa and Grand Papa a family could ask for. We rejoice that he is reunited with Mom and at peace.

A celebration of life will take place on July 22, 2025 at Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center, 2800 Curve Crest Blvd, Stillwater MN 55082. Visitation 10:00 am to 11:00 am. A celebration of life service at 11:00 with lunch, memories, laughter and tears shared immediately after the service. Internment to follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 2:30 pm, 1800 Edgerton St, St Paul, MN 55117.

A special thank you to the staff at Good Life Senior living and the St Croix Valley Hospice nurses who provided him with outstanding care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) or your local VFW chapter.