Thomas Duane Hire, Sr.

Thomas Hire was born in Jackson, Michigan on August 7,,1949 to Lois Grace Hire (Andrews) and Richard D. Hire. He graduated from Emporia Senior High school in 1967 where he was an active athlete in basketball and football. After graduation, Tom decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corp where he served as a Sergeant for four years. He was honorably discharged from the Marines in 1970, when he went back to live in Emporia Kansas and met his beloved wife Pam Hire (Hicks) and got married in 1975. In 1977, Tom and Pam had their son Tom Hire, Jr. Tom worked as a truck driver for 10 years with Emporia Motor Freight. Afterward, he decided to move with his family to Paola, Kansas, where he worked at the AFG Glass Plant in 1991 for five years. In 1997, Tom decided to move to Cedaredge, Colorado and start his retirement in a quiet community. However, Tom was always a person that needed to stay busy so he developed a small landscaping company for three years and worked part-time as a dispatcher in Grand Junction, Co. He also enjoyed volunteering for the Search and Rescue Program of Delta County for 6 years. In 2005, Tom moved to Colorado Springs to be closer to his son, Tom Jr. and his daughter-in-law Keera. Tom soon became a grandpa of two grandchildren, Courtney and Kenny, then in 2020 a second grandson came along, Cameron. Tom (Grandpa) loved his grandkids more than anything in the world. He would spend nearly every day with them as there was a dance recital, baseball game, school activity almost every day of the week. On hot summer days, he loved being in the backyard teaching his grandkids how to plant flowers, landscaping his yard, grilling, or playing any kind of outdoor activity for hours on end. More than anything he loved helping his family with any kind of house project and spending every holiday at his home. Tom was preceded in death by his wife Pam in 2020, his mother Lois Grace Hire (Andrews) in 2010, and his father Richard D. Hire in 1999. He survived by his son and daughter-in-law Thomas Hire, Jr. and Keera; three grandchildren, Courtney, Kenny, Cameron all of Colorado Springs, Co; younger brother Alan (wife Jan) Hire of Paola, KS; three sisters Judy (husband Mark) Pryczynski of Decatur, Illinois, Margaret (husband Don) Kunde of Bloomington, Illinois and Terri Hire of Overland Park, Kansas; nieces and nephews from Kansas - Ashley, Brittney, Amber; nephew from Illinois Drew, and nieces Jana and Jamie. A memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. on July 24, 2021 at Lighthouse Presbyterian Church in Paola, KS and inurnment with military honors at 12:00 at Paola Cemetery under the direction of Dengel & Son Mortuary-Crematory, 305 N. Pearl St., Paola, KS, 66071. Contributions can be made in lieu of flowers to Alzheimer’s Association- ALZ.org and The American Legion- legion.org. Family and friends are encouarged to post their memories and condolences on Tom's tribute wall.