SIMMERING, Thomas "Tom"

SIMMERING, PULLEN, STEIL, SCHWALJE, ANDERSON

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 6/17/2013 at 23:30:51

Thomas “Tom” Simmering, 64, of 1323 N. Shore Dr., Clear Lake, Iowa, died
Thursday, August 2, 2012, in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, while on his 42nd annual
fishing trip with lifelong friends.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 11, 2012, at Zion Lutheran
Church, 112 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, Iowa, with Rev. Derik Yarian officiating.
Visitation will be Friday from 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at the Ward-Van Slyke
Colonial Chapel, 101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, Iowa, and then one hour before the
service on Saturday at the church. Burial will be in the Clear Lake Cemetery,
Clear Lake, Iowa. Family suggests memorials be given to the Association for the
Preservation of Clear Lake.

Tom was born September 24, 1947, in Ames, Iowa, the son of Lawrence Frederick
and Jenny Lucille (Pullen) Simmering. Tom graduated from Ames High School in
1966 where he excelled on the football field for the Little Cyclones, then
continued on to graduate from Luther College in 1970, and Iowa State University
Graduate School in 1973. Tom married JoEllen Steil on December 21, 2004.

Tom was a partner in the municipal consulting firm of Simmering-Cory, Inc. Tom
was well known in the State of Iowa for his knowledge of and expertise in Urban
Renewal and Urban Revitalization. He assisted more than 250 cities and counties
with preparing and implementing Urban Renewal and Urban Revitalization Plans
that resulted in a variety of development projects across the state. He very
much enjoyed his work and the interesting people he met during his associations
with the various cities and counties that he worked for.

Tom believed there was no better place in the world than Clear Lake, Iowa, and
enjoyed participating in many of the activities that were part of the lake
community, including large family gatherings during the 4th of July, attending
functions at the Surf, helping the Parks and Recreation Department with watering
of the downtown flower baskets, bike rides around the lake, and participating in
efforts of the Association of the Preservation of Clear Lake and the CLEAR
project.

In addition, Tom was on the Board of Directors of the Clear Lake Industrial
Development Corporation, serving as its President during 2009. During his tenure
with the Development Corporation, he was also an active participant in the
creation of the North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corporation.
He enjoyed many outdoor activities including fishing, hunting, trap shooting at
the Owatonna and Ventura gun clubs, boating, and Iowa State football games.

Tom’s family and friends will always remember him as incredibly compassionate.
His intense caring and generosity for the people around him will leave a legacy
that we all can only aspire to reach in life.

Tom is survived by his loving wife JoEllen (Steil) Simmering, Clear Lake, Iowa;
two children Lesley (Bill) Schwalje, Rowlett, Texas, and Otto (Roseann)
Simmering, Scottsdale, Arizona; mother Lucille Simmering, Story City, Iowa;
brother Richard Simmering, Minneapolis, Minnesota; sister Rebecca (Wayne)
Anderson, White Bear, Minnesota; brother-in-law Buck (Valora) Steil, Mason City,
Iowa; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father Lawrence Simmering.