Thomas Lee Simons entered the world on February 15, 1950, the second son of Waldo and Nadine (Strahan) Simons. He joined his older brother Patrick. His brother Gregory joined the family 17 months later. His sister Peggy joined them nine years after that. Tom grew up in Sparks, NE where he attended grade school through the sixth grade. After that, Nadine and the children lived in Valentine during the school year, going to the country on weekends and summers, while the boys attended high school. Tom graduated from Valentine High School in 1968.
Tom spent one year at the University of Nebraska studying Engineering when he decided it wasn’t for him. He returned to Valentine and worked at the Valentine Newspaper where he discovered his love for journalism.
He returned to UNL, attending classes and working in the Sports Information department. He went on to work in Sports Information for the St. Louis Cardinals football team, and Southern Illinois University.
He later returned to UNL to complete his degree in History with a minor in French and picked up his work in Sports Information. He later moved to University Information Systems where he continued until his retirement.
Tom traveled widely in his duties in Sports Information and in his retirement, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Asia.
To say that Tom was a sports nut would be a massive understatement. If he told you about the stats on almost any sport, from any decade, you could take it to the bank. More than anything else, he loved baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals. In his retirement he had the opportunity to travel and see them play in many places. Tom died in Omaha, NE on February 21, 2026, after a lengthy illness. He was preceded in death by his parents; and great nephew, Lukis Laudenklos.
He is survived by his brother Pat and wife Connie of Frisco, TX, their daughters Jennifer and Nicole and their families; brother Greg and wife Rose of Omaha, NE, their son Greg, Jr. and daughter Abby and their families; sister Peggy and husband Rick Medema of Valentine, NE, their daughters Katy and Lizzie, and their families, and son Dan.
A celebration of life and inurnment will be held at a future date.
