Thomas Patrick Wills, age 73, of New Lenox, passed away after a courageous battle with Covid-19 on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox with his family at his side. Tom is survived by his loving wife of 50 years Mary nee O'Sullivan. He was the loving father of Colleen, Tom (Amy) and Kevin (Carrie). Caring Grandfather of Claire, Jack, Luke, Lily, Liam and Owen. Fond brother of John (Chris), Dennis (Casey), Margaret (the late William-2015) Balducci, the late Patricia-2016, Michael (Leticia) and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Patricia and in-laws Edward and Marcella O'Sullivan. Thomas was born in Chicago in 1947 and was part of the first graduating class of St. Laurence H.S. in 1965. He honorably served his country with the United States Army, 1st Infantry Division, 26th Regiment, Blue Spaders and was awarded the Bronze Star. He was a proud American and a Vietnam Veteran who exhibited his patriotism daily. He was a life-long member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150. Tom will be remembered as a great dad and a loving grandfather who very much enjoyed watching his kids and grandkids compete in sports and dance and all school activities. A private Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox on Wednesday, January 6th at 11:00 A.M. Friends are invited to view Thomas's Mass via live stream by copying and pasting the following link: https://vimeo.com/497327804/aea49eeb84 in your web browser or by visiting Forsythe Gould Funeral Home Facebook page and look for live event. Interment will be at Guardian Angel Cemetery in Manhattan. In Lieu of flowers, memorials in Tom's name can be sent to Loyola University Medical Center with Team Owen on the memo line by mail to: Loyola University Medical Center, Office of Philanthropy, 2160 South 1st Ave., Dock 8, Maywood, IL. 60153 or by visiting https://support.loyolamedicine.org/loyola/team-owen Arrangements entrusted to Forsythe Gould Funeral Home, 507 S. State St., Manhattan, IL, 815-478-3321. The following is the Eulogy that will be read at the funeral. Thomas Patrick Wills July 17, 1947 – December 30, 2020 Remembrance We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support and how everyone has come together to celebrate the life and legacy of Tom. In life, all of this would have made him uncomfortable because he was never one that wanted to be the center of attention. Appropriately capturing who he was and what he meant to so many of us was a monumental task. Stories abound, memories are plentiful, and the impact he made on this world is apparent. Tom was a simple man, which can probably be traced back to his humble beginnings. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago as the son of Thomas and Patricia and was the oldest brother to John, Den, Peggy, Patty and Mickey. He fondly told stories of growing up with his siblings. There were battles in the alley when they played basketball. You probably did not want to be invited when they froze their front yard and played hockey. It was here, on a non-descript street on the South Side of Chicago, that Tom developed his deep love of family and where his own father showed him the powerful lessons of fatherhood. Another amazing thing happened while Tom grew up in his childhood home, he met the love of his life who just so happened to live across the street. Mary caught his eye at an early age and not even a tour of duty in Vietnam could keep them from their destiny of being together. They knew each other for 59 years and were blessed to spend 50 of them as husband and wife. Tom was a doting husband who could not stand the thought of ever being apart from Mary. They did everything together and were fortunate to be able to travel many places alongside each other. Tom loved Mary more than life itself. Tom had a weathered exterior and muscular build that was shaped by his time in Vietnam, the many years he spent as a heavy equipment operator and his love of weightlifting (pumping iron as he always said). Many do not know this, but Tom attended UIC for a year prior to being drafted by the Army. He had wanted a career in teaching and also wanted to coach. He got to live vicariously through his brother, Den, which is why he never missed a chance to watch him coach. Upon returning from Vietnam, he did not feel that he fit in with his classmates when he returned to UIC. He ultimately found his lifelong profession as a Local 150 operating engineer. He never complained about the path that was chosen for him. He showed up every day and put in the work. Many days extended to 12 hours for him and many weeks he worked 6 days, but he always made sure to spend time with his family. He worked so hard because he wanted to provide for his family, invest in his children's education with Catholic schools and college and to provide financial support to others in need. Money was never something that he focused on accumulating but always saw it as a vehicle to help others and to make a difference. Not only would he give you the shirt off his back, he would also spend his last $20 to buy you a few more. He especially liked to provide financial support to many of the nuns who taught Colleen, Tom and Kevin, many even for years after his kids had graduated or the nuns had retired from teaching. Tom's weathered exterior and muscular build was the complete opposite of what he was on the inside. As you all know, he was incredibly soft-spoken. He was the rare person that wanted to listen more than he spoke. When he did speak, people would stop and listen and his words carried incredible weight. Although he was soft-spoken, you never had to wonder what he was thinking. Sometimes, it did not even require him to say any words. He could simply clear his throat or give you a look or shake/nod of his head and you knew exactly what he was telling you. We were always amazed that a man that was so quiet was able to have a positive effect on so many people's lives. He stood at 5'8" but was a giant in all of our eyes. A highlight of his life was being able to coach basketball while Tom and Kevin were in grade school. He would work a 12-hour day and hurry home to pick up the boys for practice or a game. It was something he absolutely loved to do and many of the kids on the teams still lovingly refer to him as Coach. He never yelled when he coached, he was always very supportive and he was able to transfer his love of the game to everyone on the team. He always had a special bond with his only daughter, Colleen. They were able to spend a lot of time together the last 11 years, after she built a house right down the street. There were many visits, meals, home improvement projects and laughs shared over the years. As the years passed and his kids grew older, Tom was thrilled to see his own family expand. With open arms and room in his heart, he welcomed the addition of his daughters-in-law – Amy and Carrie. As great of a father as he was, it paled in comparison to the Papa that he was to Claire, Jack, Luke, Lily, Liam and Owen. Nothing gave him more joy in his life than being around his grandkids. He never missed a sporting event or dance recital. Stories about them were the first thing that he wanted to share when he saw family and friends. You could see his immense love for them by the twinkle in his eye when he looked at them. We are thankful that they each got to witness how truly great he was and to experience the love that he had for them. Tom was a voracious reader and his Kindle was never too far out of his reach. He was also a lover of music, especially Motown, Elvis and classic rock. Surprisingly, he liked to dance and was found on the dance floor at many weddings. He also cherished steak dinners with a Crown Royal and 7-Up. Tom was a proud and caring uncle to 20 nieces/nephews and 31 great nieces/nephews. He loved seeing everyone at all the family parties and holiday celebrations. He hated the sun and heat but for some reason loved Las Vegas during the summer months. He introduced his kids to Vegas at a young age and that was the family's favorite vacation spot for many years. He loved the excitement, the $1 slot machines with the red white and blue 7's, Piña Coladas, and hanging out with the family. Many friends and extended family members joined us on vacation over the years – with our group size sometimes being as large as 20 people. Being a proud veteran, he loved his country and flag. He was a true patriot and really expressed his patriotism, especially after 9-11. Supporting the troops was very important to him and he attended many welcome home celebrations for local soldiers over the years. Tom was a man of strong conviction, integrity and will. He always believed in doing the right thing no matter the costs. His never quit attitude along with his stubbornness sometimes led to a more difficult path than what was necessary, but that was his trademark; he always did it his way. There is an old saying that true wealth is when you possess things that can't be purchased with money. The love Tom shared with his family and friends, the difference he made in other's lives and the outpouring of love and support after news of his passing shows us that he was truly one of the richest men in the world. He was larger than life in more ways than we will ever be able to capture on paper. There are countless stories of him that all of us will hold onto to keep his memory alive. In honor of him, use those memories as a beacon in your own life and put in the work like he did every single day. We thank Tom for being a loving husband, an exemplary father and the world's greatest grandfather. Many of you expressed your condolences to us. In turn, we would like to extend our condolences to you. We all lost someone incredibly special on December 30th. Lovingly, Mary, Colleen, Tom, Kevin, Amy, Carrie, Claire, Jack, Luke, Lily, Liam and Owen