Tommy passed away in Fargo, ND, on Friday, January 30, 2026, at Essentia Health following a sudden illness.
A Memorial Service will be Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 11:00 am in Korsmo Funeral and Cremation Service of Moorhead, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior. A second memorial service will be Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11am in Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home in Bemidji, MN. Visitation will also be one hour prior.
Tommy was born January 1, 1950, in St. Cloud, MN, to Thomas and Elaine Tolman. He was the oldest of 5 siblings. He was the first baby born that year and Elaine got a prize for him arriving on New Years Day.
The family moved to Pine City, MN, where brother, Richard, and sister, Jean joined the family. In 1953, Tommy’s dad accepted a teaching position and the family moved to Bemidji, MN. In short order, brother Robert arrived. In 1957, the family moved to the “Farm”. The kids spent hours exploring the woods, fields, building rafts, forts and inventing the Klutz. Their family expanded further when they welcomed sister, Donna to the family.
In 1968, Tommy graduated from Bemidji Senior High School and spent the summer on the Great Lakes in an ore boat earning money to pay for college. He attended Moorhead State University where he earned a degree as a geologist.
Following college, Tommy enlisted with the Air National Guard. He started as a rear seater in an F-4 fighter jet. He made the cutoff to train to be a pilot, and was sent to Lubbock, Texas to train. He graduated from the program as a First Lieutenant and was assigned to Fargo and the Happy Hooligans. He spent the next 30 years flying jets. He was transferred to Klamath Falls, OR, for a tour, and returned to Fargo to finish his career. He retired from the Air National Guard.
Retired? Not yet. Tommy spent time flying for the Fargo Forum, he was an active participant at the Fargo Legion, he was a friend to the Fargo Botanical Society and was very active with the Garden Club. He spent hours cruising Fargo looking for ways to keep the streets uncluttered of treasures.
One of his proudest accomplishments was starting with a handful of Einkorn Wheat and propagating that handful to a storage unit full of wheat seed.
Tommy never passed on a bargain or a lemonade stand. He loved helping those young entrepreneurs. He had a big heart and would assist anyone who needed a helping hand up. Tommy’s life was full of adventures and travel.
If you got to know Tommy in any way, you also won a prize.
Tommy is survived by his brother, Richard (Chris) Tolman; and sister, Donna (Rick) Andersen; nieces and nephews; sister-in-law, Pat Bilek; and friend, Denise Morris.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; his parents, Thomas and Elaine Tolman; siblings, Jean Tolman-Gearman, and Robert Tolman; and one nephew, Geoffrey Andersen.
In lieu of flowers or monetary gifts, the family asks that donations be made to your favorite charity or library.
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