Thomas' Obituary
Thomas Callahan, age 77 of Sioux Falls, SD passed away peacefully on Friday, September 6, 2024. His Funeral Service will be 2:00 pm Friday, September 13, 2024 at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls. Visitation will be on Thursday, September 12, 2024, from 5:00-7:00 pm at the funeral home.
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Thomas Burgess Callahan was born to Lester Edward Callahan and Mary Alice (Bourne) Callahan on Saturday, June 28, 1947, at South Shore Hospital, South Weymouth, Massachusetts. Tom was the third child following his brother, Michael "Mike" Edward Bourne Callahan, and a sister, Mary "Kathy" Kathleen (Callahan) Shemais.
Saturday, May 1, 1976, Tom was united in Marriage with Dorothy Suzanne Kearney at Asbury United Methodist Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Rev. Richard W. Fisher and Rt. Rev. Msgr. John J. McEeaney from St. Joseph Cathedral witnessed the exchange of vows. Tom is a member at St. Joseph Cathedral, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where his wife became a member of St. Joseph Cathedral on April 14, 1990.
Tom grew up in Abington, Massachusetts attended Abington Public Schools, 1st - 8th grades, Cardinal Spellman High School in Brockton, Massachusetts, 9th graduated June 1965, he was a member at Saint Briget Catholic Church in Abington, Massachusetts where Tom was an Altar Server, at age of 10, 5th grade - 12th grade. Tom went to Boston College School of Management, and graduated May 1970.
Together, Tom and Dorothy raised three children, two sons, Jesse Michael Frier Callahan, Joshua Daniel Callahan, and a daughter, Jaimie Kathleen Callahan. In addition to having three children, Tom was Blessed with five grandchildren: Chris, Sam, Clint, Michael, and Max. Upon marriage they made their home in Sioux Falls, Tom was a manager-trainee at Tempo Store that was in the Western Mall. In October 1976, he was transferred to Pueblo, Colorado becoming an Asst. Manager for Tempo Store, where they made their new home, until the Tempo Store franchise ended up going out of business. Once the store was liquidated in May 1977, they returned to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tom`s career journey began in 1970-1972 working for Kemper Insurance, Boston, Massachusetts, and in July 1974 he came to South Dakota to volunteer for the Campaign for Senator George McGovern's reelection in Chamberlain to November 1974. Upon McGovern winning the election, Tom then moved to Sioux Falls going to work as a Deputy County Auditor, plus took on a part-time job at Merl`s TV ~ Sight & Sound Aquarium, located within Lewis Eastgate Store, where Tom met Dorothy. He then worked for Great American Insurance, 1978-1981, North Central Insurance 1994-1995, and Boen & Associates 1995-2008. In 2008, Tom again volunteered to help the campaign of then-Senator Barack Obama. Tom also, worked from 1977 to 2015 as a Stationary Guard part-time for his in-laws, Les and Ferne Kearney who owned/operated Sioux Merchant Patrol Security, since starting the business in May 1950. Tom`s two sons Jesse and Josh are now the third-generation owners of their grandparent's Security business. In 2015, Tom retired from working for them due to medical conditions.
Tom enjoyed history, following politics, reading, telling good stories "to absolutely anyone and we mean anyone, who stops and chat with him", being a bit of prankster, telling the best corny jokes, watching TV, keeping informed about the news, locally and around the World, the Boston College Sports, and he especially enjoyed watching Boston Red Sox baseball games, camping, canoeing the Big Sioux River and Brant Lake with his brother-in-law Dan, sailing off the east Coast in the Atlantic Ocean with his big brother, Mike. Plus playing and making long-distance Chess moves by mail and corresponding back-and-forth baseball picks with Mike too. Tom`s ultimate highlight, are his children, coaching their soccer games, starting out as Kinder-Kickers on up, being involved with the sons in Boy Scouts camping trips, YMCA Basketball, and Indian-Y with son Jesse. He loved seeing all three of them participating in Chorus, Concert Choir, Theatre / Drama, Sports, Orchestra, Band, Marching Band, playing the piano, and taking all the kid`s school events they were involved in. Tom enjoyed traveling with Dorothy, camping almost every weekend till his daughter was about four years old, but there were many other traveling trips through the years to the Black Hills and Massachusetts, especially the frequent trips back home to the New England area, spending time with his family, aunts, uncles, and cousins, showing their kids around his old stomping grounds, sharing the rich history of Boston, going to the Boston Marathon, see the Red Sox games at Fenway Park, going to Plymouth, Mass., the town of Bourne, where his ancestors has ties, Cape Cod and Maratha`s Vineyard, taking in the beaches and the Ocean. Tom loved and cared about all his relatives, neighbors, and friends dearly, and above all Cherished his own family and spending time with them. Tom was a goodhearted kind person, who was friendly, considerate, and often thoughtful in kindness with words and actions for anybody who came across his path.
Grateful for having shared his life, with Dorothy; three children, sons, Jesse and his wife, Sarah Jean (Sturm) Callahan, Joshua and his wife, Denice (Luze) Callahan; daughter, Jaimie Callahan; five grandsons, Christopher & Samuel Callahan, Clinton Haberer, Micheal and Max Callahan, all of Sioux Falls; brother-in-law, Dan and wife, Sandy (Larson) Keanery; Kay (Shields) Kearney, Sioux Falls; brother-in-law, Hosam and his wife, Maureen (McMann) Shemais, Braintree, Massachusetts; aunt-in-law, Alice (Frier) Kearney, Gorveville, IL., a host of many relatives and friends.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Mary (Bourne) Callahan, brother Michael Edward Bourne Callahan, sister Mary "Kathy" Kathleen (Callahan) Shemais.
"Family knows no boundaries and Love needs no titles."
A special thank you to the staff of Luther Manor and Avera Hospice for their services to our Loved One Tom and his family.
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