Thomas “Tom” Hildring, 47
Thomas 'Tom' Hildring, age 47, of Sioux Falls, went to his heavenly home July 28, 2024, at the Sanford USD Medical Center, with his family at his side. Tom’s Celebration of Life service will be 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, at the George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory. Burial will be in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, following the funeral service. Visitation will be 1-2 p.m. Friday, August 23 prior to the funeral service. Family and friends are invited to gather at Red Rock Grill in Rowena following the interment. Visit www.georgeboom.com
Thomas Emil Hildring was born Jan. 20, 1977 in Sioux Falls to Robert and Janis (Peterson) Hildring. He attended Valley Springs Elementary and Brandon Valley Junior High graduating from Brandon Valley High School in 1995. He went on to attend Dakota State University, Madison. After school he worked for LodgeNet in Sioux Falls and was later employed in various industries including lawn care and landscaping, building maintenance, taxi service and tile setting. Tom was handy with a set of tools and did many remodeling projects with his family. They had good times working together and celebrating a job well done.
Tom was baptized and confirmed in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and Lake Beauty Bible Camp was a regular summer event. Tom’s confirmation Bible traveled along with him on his life’s journeys.
Tom grew up on the family farm and spent many happy years as a farm kid. This meant doing chores, riding three-wheelers, checking cattle, going to 4-H events during the summers including county and state fairs, and having good times with family, friends and neighbors. Tom would travel during the summers with his family all over the United States. Tom’s love of cars and driving took him on what he coined his “Great American Road Trip” when he headed west during the fall of 2017.
Tom was a talented artist and would often gift his drawings to his family. He loved music and would share his most recent favorite songs or artist. As a dog lover, Tom spent lots of time with his cherished pets, Shiloh and Cowboy.
Tom’s family came to realize that his life would be shortened by mental illness. That became even more clear the last three months of his life as medical complications furthered his decline. Tom encountered many professionals along the way including law enforcement, medical professionals, behavior health specialists, lawyers and counselors, but the answers for Tom were never clear. Even the most astute of medical teams could do a lot of things for Tom and while his medication, care, living environment and a long-term treatment plan were always what he needed, the right path was never figured out for Tom. Tom was a unique person, but mental illness is not unique and is a prevalent and ongoing challenge for many families.
Tom’s family is blessed with his two beautiful daughters, Luciana “Lucy” Quinn and Rose Oriette. Grateful for having shared his life are his mother, Janis Hildring; his sisters, Tina (Bill) Van Camp, Tricia (Terry) Paulsen and Tara (Bruce) Stombaugh. He was a loving uncle to Will and Jack, Ashley, Colin and Jake, and Gavin, Chloe and Olivia.
He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Hildring; his grandparents, Emil and Irene Hildring and Stan and Lois Peterson; and his godparent, Jim Halpin.
In an unexpected shift in Tom’s journey, at the end of his days on Earth, he was able to gift his kidneys to two donor recipients through LifeSource. Tom always had a generous spirit and a way of giving to others without expectation. Tom’s gifts are another chapter in his journey, and he will continue to write his own story.
Memorial gifts will be directed to Tom’s children and LifeSource.
