Obituaries

Thomas Raymond McCleery, 46, of Ferguson, MO passed away on April 4, 2022 in his home surrounded by family and friends.

Tom was born on December 19, 1975 to C.T. “Bud” and Raetta McCleery in Louisiana, MO and grew up in Ashley, just outside of Bowling Green, MO. He attended Washington University – St. Louis and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1998 and was a member of the Theta Xi fraternity.

Tom had a gift of conversation and unique combination of humor, humility, wit, and joy which made him well fitted for his path into the printing and advertising business. He worked at his first job at Valpak in St. Louis for 7 years, where he loved to make cold calls just to meet new people and talk. In 2005, Tom started working at Curtis 1000, subsidiary of Taylor Corporation, moving up from Sales Manager to VP of Client Management during his 15 years of service. In 2020, Tom moved over to Optima Graphics, also of Taylor Corporation, in Fenton, MO as the General Manager.

While attending Washington University – St. Louis, Tom met the love of his life, Carissa Eads, and they married on September 4, 1999. They have lived happily in Ferguson, MO since 2000. During their 22 years of marriage, they were the perfect complement to each other and were truly best friends. Their first daughter Raegan Margaret was born unexpectedly early in December 2008 and their second daughter Kaelyn Patricia was born in September 2011. In April 2015, the McCleery family joined the Catholic Church and are members of the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Ferguson, MO.

Tom was one of the most genuine people you could meet and would often hold an audience by telling a story that was typically funny, potentially irreverent, possibly profound, and always interesting. He made wonderful lifelong friends in his childhood, fraternity, work life, and the Ferguson community. Tom was one of the biggest St. Louis Cardinals fans around, had the talent to start refurbishing the Century Home in which he and his family live, and loved being with his girls and attending all of their sporting events. At Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish, he volunteered in many capacities, including with the Athletic Association and with the high school youth group where he had a profound impact on the lives of many young adults.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, C.T. “Bud” McCleery and Raetta (nee Muhleman) McCleery and father-in-law David Eads. He is survived by his wife Carissa, daughters Raegan and Kaelyn, sister Carrie Jackson, mother-in-law Patricia (nee Massa) Eads, brother in-law Mark (Jennifer) Eads, nieces and nephews, and a tremendous circle of friends.

Mass service Monday, April 11, 2022 at 4:00 pm at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church, 150 N. Elizabeth Ave, Ferguson, MO 63135; followed by a celebration of life at the Savoy Banquet Center, 119 S. Florissant Rd, Ferguson, MO 63135. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the BTC Athletic Association Scholarship Fund and mailed to the church.