Thomas J. McKenna

Thomas J. McKenna was a man of few words with a huge heart.  He was known for working hard, loving deeply, and having a very dry sense of humor. When Tom would get this crooked little smile on his face, you knew you were in for a pretty big laugh or at least a chuckle.  We loved that smile!

Tom was born on January 12, 1933, on a ranch near Mud Butte, SD. He learned his strong work ethic on the ranch and this work ethic stayed with him right up until his final days. After the ranch and a stint in the army, Tom worked in construction and trucking, eventually owning his own trucking company.  He loved to be around big equipment and big vehicles — he could drive anything he came across.

Tom married Annie Ferguson in October 1960, and they soon had two daughters, Debbie and Paula. Although it was hard to leave behind their family and lifelong friends in South Dakota, Tom and Annie moved to Colorado in the late 1960s, eventually making their home at Highland Lake, Colorado. It was there that they raised their daughters and made more lifelong friends.  Tom never really got over losing his wife Annie in 2003, so he sold the place at Highland Lake and moved to Austin, Colorado on the Western Slope to be near Debbie and her family.

He loved to take trips in his Dodge Ram pickup, often wandering the back roads of the Southwest.  He loved Old West culture, alien folklore, the desert, and roadrunners. Debbie and Paula joke that sometimes the only way they could locate Tom was to follow the path of his credit card receipts to determine which towns he was visiting.  Of course, this meant they were always at least a few days behind him. Let’s just say that Tom was very independent!

Tom loved his family deeply, and we all knew it. He was always there for his daughters and sons-in-law (Jeff and Debbie Aull, Bob and Paula Blitz), his six grandkids (Mike Blitz, Kelly (Marc) Schnittker, Justin (Jessica) Blitz, Paul (Alyssa) Blitz, Katie (Anthony) Passero and Marissa (Caleb) Vasquez), and his eleven great-grandchildren. We love you, Dad, and will miss you.

At Tom’s request, there will be no funeral service. there will be a committal service at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD, in September 2025. If you would like to attend, please notify Debbie or Paula.

Tom’s family would also like to acknowledge the incredible care and support we received from HopeWest during this very difficult time. Any contributions you wish to make can be made to HopeWest in his name.