Thomas J. Hoelzel

Tom Hoelzel, age 73 of Appleton, passed away at his home on August 6, 2017, surrounded by his loving family. Tom was born in Darboy on October 25, 1943, son of the late Alex and Eleonora (Maas) Hoelzel. He was a graduate of Kimberly High School, and was employed by Miller Electric. His time at Miller found him in a variety of roles, from assembly, to paint, to robotics, he was a valued employee for nearly forty years.

Tom was a man of adventure and enjoyed a wide variety of hobbies. Among them were travel, horseback riding, motorcycles, scuba diving, fishing, and deer hunting. Last but not least, he and Penny loved line dancing. His children are the beneficiaries of his active lifestyle – he shared his love of adventure with them as well.

Tom is survived by his wife and best friend of twenty-six years: Penny Hoelzel of Appleton; three children: Scott (Nancy) Hoelzel of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Heather (Christopher) Ristow of Fort Myers, Florida; and Erika (Michael) Pond of Kaukauna; three grandchildren: Gabriel Ristow, Emma Hoelzel, and Alex Hoelzel; and a brother: Dennis Hoelzel. Other survivors include Penny’s children: Tony (Denise) Hardy of Appleton and their family; Jason (Heather) Hardy of Winneconne and their family; and Kelly (Steven) Groat of New London and their family; as well as Penny’s many brothers and sisters. Tom was preceded in death by his parents.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Tom’s life on Friday, August 11, 2017, from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 PM in the Mallard Room at the Darboy Club, N9695 County Road N in Darboy. There will be a brief service of remembrance to honor Tom at 1:00 PM, and the rest of the day can be spent remembering the good times. Tom's family would like to thank the ThedaCare at Home Hospice nurses: Robin, Jenni, and Ida.