Thomas Edward Hermann was born on Feb 6, 1947, in St. Louis, MO to Robert and Helen Body (Vit). He attended Lindbergh High School in St. Louis, MO, where he starred on the football team. After graduating from Missouri State University in 1969 with a BA in Marketing, Tom moved to Denver, CO and joined the May Company. This marked the beginning of his 39-year career in the garment industry. During those years, he co-founded and ran several successful apparel companies and clothing lines, including Code Bleu, Cava, and Jag Jeans.

Tom was always the life of the party, and he spent his days positively impacting lives everywhere he went with his generosity and kind demeanor. He was often the first call for friends and family for advice, help without hesitation, or a laugh, all without judgement. Tom had the ability to leave people better than he found them, whether that be an improved outlook, mood, or a smile on their faces.  The lucky ones got all three.  Tom had a strong sense of self, and he liked to bend the rules and take risks.  But mostly, he loved the simple pleasures of life.  He loved relaxing in his spectacular garden, aside his koi pond, his puppy at his feet.

He spent much of his retirement surrounded by family and close friends, cooking, working in the yard, watching Seahawks games, and developing a new appreciation for baseball, courtesy of his eldest grandson. There was nothing he enjoyed more than being Papa T to his grandkids. Whether that meant squeezing in a dim sum lunch whenever possible, pulling out a practical joke when they least expected it, or showing them all the ways he loved them for exactly who they are – even on the bad days. Tom could build up anyone who crossed his path, somehow knowing what to say, and he knew how to make a person feel important and seen in this world.  Tom led his life with vigor, dignity, and grace, and his positive impact on the world around him will be both felt and remembered by the lives he touched.

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Tom died peacefully at home with his oldest grandson and wife by his side from complications due to his battle with bone cancer on Sunday, January 30, 2022, in Sammamish, WA, one week before his 75th birthday.

Tom is survived by his wife of 30 years, Sheila, his daughter Jessica (husband, Nate), his son Brandon (wife, Quinn) and four beautiful grandchildren (Carsten, 10 ½; Konrad, 7 ½; Kemper, 7 ½; and Nhala, 11 months).

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He will be missed deeply and remembered fondly by all who knew him.