Thomas “Tom” Carlson, age 74, of Dayton, IA and formerly of Amery, WI, passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 10, 2026.

Tom was born on September 9, 1951 in Oconto Falls, WI to Eugene and Beatrice (Daam) Carlson. He grew up in Suring until the age of 10 when his family then moved to Siren and later Amery where he spent his last two years of high school before graduating. After graduation, Tom attended UW River Falls where he earned his teaching degree.

During the summers in college, Tom worked at Friday's Canning Company in New Richmond, where he would continue to work for the next 25 yrs, eventually becoming a Warehouse Supervisor. Tom often commented about the kindness, generosity and common touch of owner and founder, Fritz Friday.

Tom was an adventurous spirit, and loved to travel. Highlights included a trip to remote regions of Ecuador, complete with souvenirs from the Waorani (Auca) tribe, a two-week backpacking trip to Europe with college friends, and in 1995, a trip to the Holy Land with his friends from Grace Church Roseville.

Tom cherished his memories and slideshows of this trip, which included time spent in Jerusalem, Jordan, the Sea of Galilee and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Tom performed ‘I come to the Garden Alone’ for his friends. 

Tom was an accomplished singer with a fine baritone voice. He was involved in numerous church choirs and small groups in both Hayward, Wisconsin and later in the Twin Cities. For many years he was a member of the church choir at Grace Church Roseville.

Tom later returned to school at Le Cordon Bleu in the Twin Cities to fulfill a lifelong dream and second career as a chef, after which he became a chef at Earle Brown Terrace, an assisted living community, until his retirement in 2015.

Upon retirement, Tom moved to Dayton Iowa to enjoy a simpler life in a smaller town, similar to his childhood in Wisconsin. He quickly made friends in the community and became active in the Dayton Dreamers, where he loved to share baked goods with the group, always making sure to stop at the Bank, the City Offices, and the local grocery store.

In 2019 Tom became active in Iowa State’s OLLI Program for adult education, and in 2020 was nominated to become the Chairperson, an honor and leadership role into which he blossomed as an outstanding local ambassador. He became an expert at opening conversations about learning opportunities for seniors and for recruiting new members, as well as recruiting teachers and experts in a constant quest to introduce fresh and interesting classes.

Tom enjoyed gardening, cooking, and all things culinary, especially dark chocolate. His first mission after his relocation to Dayton was to get his fruit trees and raspberries established, including peach, cherry, and apple trees, plus three varieties of berries. Summer canning bought jams, compotes and winter supplies of canned peaches. He also was an avid collector, including coins, cookbooks, antiques and especially glassware.

Most important to Tom though was spending time with his friends and family. He was a gifted listener, and had the rare ability to connect with people who otherwise might feel overlooked. At gatherings he frequently came away with the phone numbers and contact information of new friends. He will be very missed.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Beatrice Carlson. He is survived by his sister, Pat (Gary) Marquand; brother, Larry Carlson; nephew, Chris (Sue) Searles and children, Christopher, Zachary, and Nicholas; nephew, Andrew (Melissa) Searles and children, Cade, Kendall, Kale, Colton, Sydney (Mark), Kailey and Carson; special friend and companion Oliver Darling; and many other loving friends and family.

Last Update: Jun 12, 2026 9:22 am CDT