SWEIGERT Thomas William, Age 73, of St. Paul Passed peacefully on June 1, 2024, Preceded in death by parents, Wilbur & Ruby (née Nelson); and sister, Marilyn Bethke. Survived by wife, Paula (née Schierman); children, Steven, Joanna (Tony) Varda, Kathleen (Zaid) Jabbar, Richard, Mark; grandchildren Alexander, Elyse, Nicolas, and Maximilian Varda and Matthew, Jacob, Andrew, and Luke Jabbar; sister, Beth Retting; dozens of nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.
Tom was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and resided in the suburbs during his childhood and teen years. At 18, he enlisted in the Navy and served on a ship during Vietnam. Afterwards, he returned to the Twin Cities, and began working for Hennepin County.
He met Paula while playing in a band, married at the age of 25, and then settled in the Midway area, where they raised their 5 children. Tom loved the outdoors and favorite activities with his family included fishing and camping, small game hunting with his daughters, deer hunting with his sons, nephews, and brother-in-law, and sharing the veggies, herbs, fruits and berries from his extensive and expertly cultivated backyard garden. Tom had a creative spirit and found beauty in the ordinary.
He was energized by assembling the most mundane objects into his personal works of art. A talented drummer, he enjoyed playing along with his varied record collection, and singing karaoke at Mancini’s. After Paula’s retirement in 2022, she joined him on outings to local .