Thomas James Mohr

Thomas James Mohr, 53, of Des Moines died January 30, 2017, at his home. Tom was born in Des Moines on Aug. 12, 1963, the son of Elizabeth Myers and Wendell Lensch Mohr. When he was still just a boy, his parents moved the family to a worn Victorian schoolhouse, built in 1868, near the Des Moines river in rural Van Buren County. The Mohrs refurbished the brick structure into an apartment and studio and gallery, where Wendell painted watercolors and Betty sold antiques.

Tom took to country life and grew up canoeing, fishing, wading creeks and hunting geodes. His first jobs were in the Bonaparte Retreat kitchen and rustling hogs at the local sales barn. In high school he worked for the Van Buren County Register. After graduating from Van Buren High School, Tom earned an associate of arts degree from Indian Hills Community College and moved to Des Moines, where he was employed in the printing business for many years.

Tom thought of himself as a can-do person and had a love of hard work and hard play to back it up. He gave everything to what he did, whether tending a press, tiling a bathroom or plastering a wall. He handled a chainsaw with aplomb and was fastidious about his yard.

Bicycling was chief among Tom’s many avocations and for years he joined Team Larry, a gang of current and former Des Moines Register employees and friends, as they rode RAGBRAI. The group grew devoted to each other in a way only people who share sweat and tent camping can. Riders recall Tom as the person you could count on to stop his bike to help you fix a flat tire, and would carry you to the bike shop if he couldn’t make repairs.

All who knew Tom will remember his ready laugh, wide smile and firm handshake. Even in these days of anonymous city life, he made a point of getting acquainted with everyone in his Kingman Boulevard neighborhood.

Tom is survived by a sister and brother-in-law, Paula Mohr and Thomas R. O’Donnell of Urbandale; aunt Sandy Gebhardt of Stuart; uncle Bill Wilson of Heber, Arizona; many cousins; and innumerable friends.

The body has been cremated. A memorial celebration will be held at a later date. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, can be sent to the family at 7005 Horton Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa 50322.

www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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