BLOCK, Thomas Charles (Tom)

Black’s Show Low Mortuary, Show Low, Arizona Thomas Charles Block (June 2, 1933 - July 10, 2013) Thomas C. Block, 18 year resident of Cedar Creek, Arizona, died peacefully at noon on Wednesday July 10, 2013 in Show Low, Arizona. He was the third child of the late Arthur Block and Marcella Block nee Buntrock of Watertown, Wisconsin. Tom was 80 years old. A proud member of the United States Marine Corps who served during the Korean War and qualified as an expert marksman, Tom is survived by his wife, Kathleen of Cedar Creek, son Joel of Katy, Texas, daughter Laura of Three Forks, Montana, son Jeff of Helena, Montana, son Logan of Miami, Florida; his sister Carol of West Allis, Wisconsin, brother Roger of Watertown, Wisconsin; 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. An accomplished educator, Tom graduated from UW-Whitewater with a BS in Elementary Education in 1961 and a MS in Educational Leadership from UW-Eau Claire in 1967. He went on to teach and lead schools in Wisconsin, Montana, Botswana, Burkina Faso, and Arizona. He held teaching and leadership positions ranging from Kindergarten to the graduate level at Carroll College in Helena, Montana for several years. Throughout his career, Tom mentored children and adults alike including his own family; many of whom have become workers for the greater social good. Teaching and guiding people were among his finest accomplishments and his proudest moments. He was prouder still to see his family inspired to work towards similar goals. Tom had an insatiable curiosity, respect, appreciation, and love for the natural world which his wife and children consider one of his greatest gifts to them. He often easily identified and described in great detail the nature, character, and patterns of birds and wildlife that the rest of them may have missed had he not been keenly observant. Also an avid downhill and cross-country skier, hiker, backpacker and runner, Tom carried his teacher temperament with him everywhere he went, proudly watching as his family followed in his footsteps or ski tracks. A consummate intellectual and a lover of the arts, Tom also spent much of his free time digesting poetry and prose and; studying and researching projects for his next carving project. Tom loved reading and having literature and text all around him. Also an accomplished wood relief and chip carver, he often spent his summers pounding and gouging away with mallets and chisels at formless pieces of wood, molding and shaping them into works of art admired and cherished by family, friends and quite a few collectors. During these times of artistic productivity, he also loved to have music from an incredibly wide range of genres blaring from the garage stereo. Tunes from Bach to Pink Floyd to Ladysmith Black Mombaso mingled with the sounds of the periodic thumping of mallet on chisel while he whistled or hummed along. Memorial services are scheduled in Cedar Creek at JFK School on August 3 at 10:00am. A memorial service is scheduled for mid-fall in Helena, Montana.