Thomas Maruska

Thomas Maruska, a caring friend to all he knew, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones. He was 78. Preceded in death by his parents, Roger and Helen Maruska, and his younger brother, John R. Maruska, he’s survived by his sisters Christine (John) Schousboe and Marcile (Steve) Leaf, eight nieces and nephews, and seven great-nieces and great-nephews. Tom was born on June 14th, 1942, in Elma, Iowa. He and his parents moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1944, before settling in nearby Wauwatosa in 1956. There, Tom helped his father and some family friends to build what became the Maruska family home, a role he remained proud of throughout his life. Tom graduated from Wauwatosa East High School in 1960 and worked at the Briggs & Stratton factory for 31 years before retiring at age 55. He lived with his parents in Wauwatosa for most of his life, caring both for them and the home well into their later years. Tom is remembered for his kind, helpful nature; he would happily volunteer to use his snow blower to clear pathways for his neighbors following a heavy winter storm, for example. But Tom is also remembered for his strong faith, gentle spirit, and fondness and talent for tenderly teasing those he loved. He enjoyed photography, travel, music, baseball, archery, bowling, good food, friendly dogs, and visits with friends and family. He will forever be missed. A Catholic Memorial Prayer Service will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, May 29th at Mueller Memorial, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. Burial will be held on Tuesday, June 22, at 10:00 AM in Brookfield, WI at Wisconsin Memorial Park. Memorials preferred to Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. To view a recording of Tom's memorial service, please copy and paste this link in your browser: https://youtu.be/iRwGPtpeZqg