Thomas P. Cloos

Thomas Peter Cloos, 76, of Bellevue, passed away on Friday, September 19, 2025 at Grand Meadows in Asbury of Alzheimer’s Dementia.

Funeral Mass will be 10:30 am, Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bellevue. Visitation will be 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Monday, September 22, 2025 at Hachmann-Mier Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Bellevue. Additional visitation will be from 9:00 am – 10:00 am prior to Mass on Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Bellevue.

Thomas Peter Cloos was born on December 23, 1948, the eldest child of James and Kathleen (Gonner) Cloos, and the first grandchild of Peter and Viola Cloos and George and Alverda Gonner. As the eldest child and grandchild, Tom learned the value of hard work and the fun of playful mischief. He attended Sts. Peter & Paul grade school in Springbrook and graduated from Marquette Catholic High School in Bellevue in 1966.

In May of 1969, at a wedding dance in Preston, Tom met Lois Reuter—the love of his life. True to his quiet nature, it wasn’t until the final song of the evening that he summoned the courage to ask her to dance. That moment sparked an immediate and lasting connection. They were married on June 13, 1970, beginning a beautiful journey together that would span more than five decades.

Tom worked for nearly 40 years as Safety Director for Art Pape Transfer. After retiring, he worked for many years cleaning at Marquette Catholic Schools. Tom enjoyed golfing until sidelined by back injuries. He sang in the church choir and served as a eucharistic minister and lector for many years. Always willing to assist, it was not uncommon for a priest to ask him what committee he wanted to serve on when help was needed, because they knew he would say yes. Tom served on the Springbrook City Council, the Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Council, the Marquette Catholic School Board, and was an officer of the Marquette Booster Club. Together with Lois, he served as a sponsor couple for marriage preparation, assisted with First Communion and Confirmation preparation and was involved in Life Skills formation at the Dubuque Community Schools. His boundless energy earned him the nickname “Energizer Bunny”.

Tom cherished time with family, especially annual family vacations. Throughout his 76 years, he remained a model of kindness and humility, rarely speaking an unkind word and always treating others with warmth and respect.

Survivors include his wife, Lois; daughters, Lisa (Steve) Schmidt, Julie (Mike) Muenster, Melissa (Mike) Harvey, and Emily Cloos; grandchildren Elizabeth, Benjamin, Issac and Sam Schmidt, Anna (Joe) Paffrath, Morgan, Lucas, and Molly Muenster, and Quinton, Cora, and Nolan Harvey; siblings, Steve (Colleen) Cloos, Mark (Marlene) Cloos, Patrick (Shirley) Cloos, Fr. Robert Cloos, Barb (Kenny) Lundin, and Rick Cloos; in-laws, Darlene Reuter, Eleanor Casey, Gean Burken, Darlene (Dale) Ketelsen, Judy (Tim) Martin, Terry (Bonnie) Reuter, and Ed (Carol) Reuter.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; a sister Margaret “Peg” Mueller; and brothers in-law, Donald Reuter and Leo Casey.

The family would like to thank the staff of Grand Meadows and Hospice of Dubuque for their tremendous care during this time.

Memorials may be directed to The Alzheimer’s Association, Hospice of Dubuque, and Marquette Catholic Schools in Tom’s memory.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.hachmannfuneralhome.com