Thomas Joseph Bading

Thomas Joseph Bading

Volga

Thomas Joseph Bading of Volga, Iowa passed away March 20th, 2024 at the age of 72 despite saying he was too cantankerous to ever do so.

Tom was born on June 3rd ,1951 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a young boy Tom’s report cards from school likely said he spent his time daydreaming rather than learning the curriculum. His imagination was bottomless, and it’s difficult to say which of his many tales of growing up are true even to those who knew him best. Regardless of his formal education, Tom was a student of life and the lessons he learned about people would shape him into the dependable and eloquent man he became.

After ten years of friendship, Tom married his best friend on February 23rd, 1980 and spent the rest of his life loving her deeply and profoundly. Maureen Kay (Scott) Bading was his soulmate for the next forty years, until her passing on June 20th, 2020. Tom wrote in a journal, “she was my North, my South; my working week and my Sunday rest, my noon and my midnight, my North Star, my talk, my soul, and my song.”

Tom never recovered from the loss of Maureen, whom he lovingly referred to as his lady while telling hundreds of stories about their love, their life, and the many adventures they had together. One of their favorite things to do together was sit in the grass, barefoot, hunting for four-leaf clovers. They enjoyed going to car shows, racing, and working together to restore cars inside and out. Tom got in trouble many times in his life for bringing home a car; Maureen would give him an earful, followed by the silent treatment, but they had a rule that they never went to bed without saying “I love you.” Tom and Maureen were both students of life and learned from the many places they traveled, people they met, and from one another. Tom took Maureen to her first concert, The Moody Blues, and they continued to attend hundreds of concerts over the years. At home, they worked, played, and read avidly; always together and happy to be that way. When Tom bought his last motorcycle, he wrapped her red bandana around the handlebar so that

she was always riding with him. They had good times and bad, like all couples do, and overcame many things together. Tom was full of wisdom, and crap, but he never joked about his love, saying, “a man can fight the greatest enemy, take the longest journey, survive the most grievous wounds, and still be helpless in the hands of the woman he loves.

Despite his preference for fun and freedom, Tom was a man of many talents. He was a proud member of the Ironworkers Local 89; he worked hard to support his lady and their family. Tom traveled far and wide throughout his life, but nothing was as important to him as his time at home with his family and the pets he and Maureen shared over the years.

Tom and Maureen never met a stranger; they accepted, loved, and welcomed anyone they met into their hearts, their home, and to eat at their table. Tom used to say, “we took in a lot of strays, young and old, who needed help.” Tom and Maureen adopted their “grown” children Blade and Crecia in 2019. Blade’s fun loving attitude toward life kept Tom feeling young and they along with a group of local friends made Toms entire summer last year by working together to make sure his garden was planted and harvested despite Toms failing health. One of Tom’s happiest moments was walking Crecia down the aisle in 2022, he was so proud to do that and to accept her husband into his family.

Tom is survived by his sons, J.J. (Karen),Cameron (Kasi), and Blade; two granddaughters, Katelynn and Claire; his grandson Nathan, his sister Mary, and his daughter, Crecia (Patrick).

Tom was preceded in death by his father, Richard Bading; his mother Mimi Bading, his brother-in-law, John Harwell, and his father-in-law, Kenneth Scott.

A celebration of life luncheon will be held Saturday, May 11th at 11:30 am at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Volga. Because Maureen passed during Covid, the celebration will be for both, which is just the way they would have wanted it; together in all things forever. Everyone is welcome to gather with the family, eat, and share their memories of this wonderful couple.