Thomas Ben Hance Jr. began his journey on May 5, 1954, and unexpectedly died on Oct. 14, 2017.
Tom was the third child born to Thomas and Betty Hance in Tuscola, Illinois. Growing up he learned to love adventure and lived his life always looking over the horizon for the next one.
Tom graduated from Bowler High School in 1972 with his high school sweetheart, Donna Lex, by his side. On Jan. 8, 1973, they eloped and married in Waukegan, Illinois. This was the start of a wonderful 44-year marriage and a family that includes Rebecca (Paul) Bahr and Jennifer (Chris) Blattner. It was further expanded by the grandchildren who were his pride and joy: Lauren and Matthew Bahr together with Kailtyn, Ally and Megan Blattner.
After graduating, he was accepted into Stout State University for business administration in the industrial technology program. To earn money for college he went to work on pipeline construction in the upper Midwest and decided to stay, eventually becoming crew foreman. Tired of being on the road with a young family at home, he accepted a position as a Shawano County deputy sheriff. After serving a year as jailer/desk sergeant, he was promoted to patrolman and completed certification at the Wisconsin Police Recruit School at Fox Valley Technical College. This was during the civil unrest of the ‘70s, leading to his involvement with the Wounded Knee and Novitiate Native American protest near Gresham.
Timing was right in the late 1970s when Tom’s father asked him to join a new real estate and auction company, Brunner Hance Real Estate. After home studying and passing the real estate brokers exam, they worked together briefly before Tom accepted a position with Rural Insurance as a property claims investigator and adjuster. When his father unexpectedly passed away, Tom returned to close out the family business.
Wanting to stay in the home area, he began a new adventure in the veal calf industry. Always having a love of farming, he looked at the specialty feed industry as a way to live a dream. After working several years as a sales and marketing representative for several companies, he began raising his own calves and beef cattle. Tom soon became a well-respected leader in the industry that led him to eventually become president for both the Wisconsin Veal Association and American Veal Association. This branched out further to service on the state and national cattlemen’s beef association boards.
Resulting from a severe downturn in the industry and always looking for his next adventure, Tom dusted off his real estate license to open United Country-Hance Realty. He operated an office in Birnamwood for a few years before the market again dropped, redirecting him to become operations manager for Wittenberg Disposal & Trucking where he oversaw three shops and over 90 trucks. After six years the business was sold, causing him to update his commercial driver’s license and to add a passenger endorsement so he could drive coach bus for a couple of years transporting a semi-pro hockey team and a women’s semi-pro football team.
Eventually Tom entered the final chapter of his life in the automotive sales industry. He was fortunate to find a family-run dealership in Clintonville Motors that he hoped to retire from.
In addition to his wife, daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, Tom is survived by his mother, Betty Hance; brothers, Rick (Diane) Hance and David (Rene Holley) Hance; sister, Mary (Bob) Sansevere; mother-in-law, Alice Lex; brothers-in-law, Tom (Donna Karcz) Lex, Paul (Mikki) Lex and Dwayne Barke; sisters-in-law, Cindy (Ken Hayes) Evans, Geri (Dale) Hamilton, Jean (Pat) Zalewski, Vicki (David) Anunson and Carrie (Ryan Anderson) Thoreson.
Tom was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Hance Sr.; sister, Linda Barke; father-in-law, George Lex; and brothers-in-law, Bob Lex and John Evans.
A Masonic Service was held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017, at Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home, Wittenberg. Visitation was held on Wednesday from 11 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. Interment will be in Forest Cemetery, Birnamwood.
Memories and condolences may be shared at schmidtschulta.com or at Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home on Facebook.