Thomas M. Meadows

THOMAS M. MEADOWS, 75, of Red Bud, Illinois, passed away at 1:40 am, Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at Red Bud Regional Hospital, Red Bud, Illinois.

He was born to the late Martin and Amelia (nee Rodefeld) Meadows in Richmond, Indiana on August 7, 1944.

As a child, Tom enjoyed what he called a “typical 50’s childhood” filled with baseball, bicycles, and brothers Mike and John. Tom was MVP of his Pony League Baseball team and at age sixteen, he won the batting title for his Babe Ruth Baseball League. He was the first male cheerleader at his Junior High, and wrestled for Richmond Senior High School. But, as one friend remembers, Tom was “not such a success at golf --really bad slice--but was the perfect person to play with.”

Tom attended college at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. There he met Christine Quinn, his “dearie”, of Cobourg, Ontario. And after only 6 months, they were married in Cobourg on August 19, 1967 and in 2017 they celebrated their 50th anniversary.

After college, Tom taught business at Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio then he and Christine moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where he worked for the Rodefeld Company, the family’s electronics distribution business. While in Indianapolis, Tom and his friends opened a photography studio where they practiced what they called “Gonzo Paparazzo” photography, capturing the life and times of the 1970's and 1980’s Indiana. He later accepted a position with Zenith Electronics and made moves within the company to Salt Lake City, Utah and Chicago, Illinois. During his 30+ year career with Zenith, Tom held many positions including vice president of sales and vice president of customer service.

Tom and Christine eventually settled in Red Bud, Illinois in 2013 and enjoyed the small town life style, hosting an annual Fireman’s Picnic Parade party for friends and family.

During his retirement, Tom focused much of his time on his life-long love of art and photography which he won several awards for, enjoying his 8 grandchildren and recounting tales from his youth, including the time he spent the night in jail and missed the Beatles debut on the Ed Sullivan show and the spontaneous trip he and his friends took to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The family plans to have a Celebration of Life and Art exhibition in January, 2020. If you are interested in attending, contact his daughter Alex Meadows Luttman [email protected] .

Survivors:

Wife:

Christine Meadows Red Bud, IL

3 Children:

Jason Meadows Los Angeles, CA

Alexandra (Brandon) Luttman Waterloo, IL

Quinn (Jennifer) Meadows South Elgin, IL

2 Brothers:

Michael (Regina) Meadows Nederland, CO

John (Christine) Meadows Mission Viejo, CA

8 Grandchildren:

Jasper and Marlowe Meadows

Aaron, Owen, Amelia and August Luttman

Ethan and Cooper Meadows

Many Nieces, Nephews, Great Nieces, Great Nephews, Cousins and Friends

Preceded in death by: Parents