Thomas Morgan

Thomas Morgan, 65, of Knoxville, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at home on June 23, 2025, after a difficult battle with Dementia and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a degenerative brain disease related to Parkinson’s. Tom was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 26, 1959, to Thomas and Josephine Morgan, shortly after they immigrated from Belfast, Ireland, the first of his family to be born in America. He graduated from Larkin High School in 1977 and began training to be a machinist and tool & die maker. Tom was passionate about engineering and had a natural affinity for all things mechanical. While camping with his buddies in 1981, Tom met Patricia (Patty) Schultz in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Less than a year later, they were married and moved to Colorado when Tom accepted a job with the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant in Golden. There, they were blessed with three wonderful children: Erin Colleen, Thomas Patrick, and Molly Catherine. They lived in Colorado for 22 years, and relocated to Tennessee in 2004, where Tom worked at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oakridge, Tennessee. Over the years, Tom worked at various facilities in the nuclear regulatory field - from Y-12, Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, New Mexico, then finally retiring in 2021 at the age of 62 from the Department of Energy at the Savannah River Nuclear Site in Aiken, South Carolina. Tom’s Irish heritage shone through in his personality - a sharp sense of humor, generous heart, and a healthy dose of stubbornness. He was often the life of the party, and deeply enjoyed giving gifts to loved ones or charitably fulfilling their needs. Outside of work, Tom enjoyed playing ice hockey, camping, fishing, and watching his beloved Chicago Cubs. He loved silly Christmas music, cracking inappropriate jokes, and telling long stories to anyone who would listen, often with a nice cold one in hand. Tom will be remembered by how he blessed others, tangibly or intangibly, and that’s all he would have wanted. Thomas was preceded in death by his daughter Erin Morgan, father Thomas Morgan, mother Josephine Morgan, brother Joseph Morgan, brother Michael Morgan, grandson Gabriel Morgan, and many other cherished family members. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Patty Morgan, son Tommy Morgan, daughter Molly Tolar (Drew), sister Mary Ruffino (Scott, dec.), sister Lisa Borrasso (Joe), and grandchildren Jack Morgan, Izzy Morgan, Cooper June Morgan, Adelaide Tolar, Donovan Tolar, Emery Kate Tolar, and Jonah Tolar. There will be a visitation and reception for family and friends at Rose Funeral & Cremation - Mann, Knoxville, TN on Saturday, July 5th at 5:00 pm. A burial service will be held in Chicago, IL at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the CurePSP foundation (curepsp.org), as they fund research to find cause and cure for this fatal condition, affecting an estimated 5 in 100,000 people.

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Thomas Morgan

July 26, 1959 - June 23, 2025