Thomas “Papa Tom” Westman, cherished husband, devoted father, and beloved pillar of the community, peacefully passed away on April 21, 2024, in South Haven, Minnesota.
Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Aug. 20, 1952, to Richard and Marge Westman, Tom’s life was a testament to kindness, dedication, and service.
Tom graduated from White Bear Lake High School in 1970 and the University of Minnesota–Morris in 1974. He joyously married Barb Westman (Macgregor) on Aug. 18, 1973, and had three sons before receiving a Master’s Degree in business from the University of St. Thomas in the early 1980s.
Tom had a successful career in business where he purchased and managed a Farmer Seed Nursery before founding and operating several Wild Bird Stores in the Twin Cities metro area. After selling the stores and moving to South Haven, he managed Dan and Jerry’s Greenhouses for several years before retiring. In “retirement,” he was a prolific staff writer for the Annandale Advocate, where he built trusted relationships, covering all aspects of the community from sports to local governance as well as sharing his thoughts in his column “Tom Speaks”; worked for Barb’s Cottage Gourmets, providing stability as her business grew; and embarked on a new culinary venture of his own, Papa Tom’s, gaining a devoted following for his caramel rolls and cookies at the Annandale Farmers Market.
Tom’s dedication extended far beyond his professional endeavors. He tirelessly served his community, serving on both the South Washington County School Board and the city of Newport’s Planning and Zoning committee. In Annandale, his many volunteer activities included tutoring math at the elementary school, coaching sixth grade basketball and high school Knowledge Bowl, and hosted free spaghetti dinners and hot dogs for the high school football and basketball teams.
Tom is survived by his wife, Barb; sons, Justin (Laura), McLain (Cathleen), and Nick (HunWen); siblings, Connie Jacques and David Westman; grandchildren, Quintan, Alyssa (Alex), Isaac, Sawyer, Thomas, Gabe, and Ruth; great granddaughter Tessa; and many other relatives and friends who will forever cherish his memory.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, and stepmother, Kathy Westman.
Family and friends are invited to a celebration of life on Saturday, June 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Fairhaven Farm in Fairhaven.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Annandale Food Shelf in Tom’s honor, www.annandalefoodshelf.org/donate.