Thomas Rial
Thomas Bernard Rial died peacefully on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2023, in St. Cloud, MN, at the age of 87.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 AM Friday, December 1, 2023, at Holy Trinity Church in Fort Dodge. Burial will follow in Corpus Christi Cemetery. A visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 PM Thursday with a Rosary beginning at 6:30 PM at Laufersweiler Funeral Home in Fort Dodge. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Tom’s life.
Known as Tommy to his brothers, Tom to his friends and fellow teachers, and Dad and Grandpa to the rest of us, he is survived by his devoted wife Judy; daughter Lori A. (Tom) Weidner of St. Augusta, MN, and sons Thomas M. Rial of Des Moines, IA, and Timothy J. (Lisa) Rial of Carroll, IA.
He was blessed in life with nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren — Thomas, Madison, Amber, Trevor, Joseph, Logan, Mary Kathryn, John, Maria, Arthur, and Orson.
Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Joseph Rial and Mary Agnes Meagher, of rural Webster County, IA, his brothers Richard C. Rial of Weslaco, TX, and Joseph F. Rial of Fort Dodge, IA, and nephew Thomas L. Rial of Weslaco.
Tom was born on October 23, 1936, in Fort Dodge, IA, to Thomas and Mary Rial. He graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 1956. His college education began at Fort Dodge Jr. College, and then attended the Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls earning a BA in mathematics and education in 1960. After college, Tom began teaching high school math at Northwest Webster Community Schools in Barnum, IA. Tom married Judith Kay Oberhelman in 1965 and moved to Barnum. He earned his MA in Mathematics in 1969 from Northern Colorado University. After 18 years, Tom moved his family to Atlantic, IA and taught math at Atlantic High School until his retirement in 1994.
Tom is remembered as a baseball player as a Fort Dodge Dodger, a Jr. College Panther, and a town-team semi-pro pitcher. More importantly he was a great teacher whose impact was felt by all his students. Tom loved fishing and competitive shuffleboard in retirement. He was a devout member of the Roman Catholic Church, active member of the Atlantic Lion’s Club and Knights of Columbus and served on the Barnum City Council.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.
The family would like to thank Talamore Senior Living Memory Care and St. Croix Hospice for their loving care.