Thomas Skalbeck

Dr. Thomas Skalbeck, age 89 of Lake Elmo

Tom lived his final days in the cherished house that he built by hand on Lake Jane, as was his wish and his plan. Lake Jane was his haven where he raised his family and nurtured the woodland creatures that came to visit every day. A man of faith, he left his oak forest on Lake Jane to be with his Lord, March 31, 2022.

He is survived by his children, Karen (Vince George) Skalbeck-George, Steve (Debi), Charly (Lori), Kristin (Mark) Brouker, John (Lucy), Susan (Mark) Berenz, Elizabeth (Isaac) McBroom, Paul (Jacob Stamer); former wife, Veronica; brother, David (Loretta); 14 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Archie and Beatrice; first wife, Patricia Skalbeck-Sexton; and daughter in-law, Joan Skalbeck.

Tom was a true renaissance man. An accomplished athlete, he remained active his whole life. He played football and basketball throughout his youth, coached track and football, as well as officiated football on the high school and college levels during his career. Tom was forever learning and teaching. He earned degrees at Gustavus Adolphus College (B.S), St. Mary’s College (M.S.), and the University of Minnesota (Ph.D.). As a high school biology teacher, he made learning an enterprise for the entire family when he ran a lake ecology summer school class on his property on Lake Jane and engaged his research colleagues and children in his years-long study of sap beetles. He was a published scholar and member of many professional organizations in the fields of entomology, biology and ecology. Tom also loved music. At home, MPR Classical Music Radio was always tuned in. He taught his children to love Copland, Bach, Brubeck, Mozart and Sibelius. At Gustavus he sang in the choir and continued singing in church choirs his entire life, including the choir at St. Andrew’s, where he was a charter member.

Funeral service will be 11:00am ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­April 19th, 2022, at ST. ANDREW’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, 900 Stillwater Rd. Mahtomedi. Visitation will be 6-8pm on April 18th, 2022 at BRADSHAW, 2800 Curve Crest Blvd, Stillwater, and one hour prior to service at church. Interment at Forest Lawn Cemetery.  Livestream available at: https://control.resi.io/webplayer/video.html?id=ea98a04e-f2ba-46f5-a03c-8fa1b2c7e003

Memorials preferred to Gustavus Adolphus College https://gustavus.edu/ and the National Audubon Society https://www.audubon.org/