Schmitz, Thomas

THOMAS SCHMITZ

Iowa City

Thomas H. "Tom" Schmitz, 53, of Plano, Texas, and formerly of Iowa City, died Jan. 2, 2014 at his home. A Memorial Service will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City. The family will greet friends beginning at noon Friday at the funeral home. Burial of cremains will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City.

Instead of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Thomas Schmitz Memorial Fund.

Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City is handling arrangements.

Tom was born Jan. 21, 1960, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Kenneth and Mary Joanne Schmitz. Growing up in Iowa City, Tom graduated from Washington High School in Washington, Iowa. Tom married his wife, Ilona on Jan. 14, 1994, in Las Vegas. The couple later divorced.

Tom was a traffic engineering technician for the city of Richardson, Texas, for over 25 years. He enjoyed his career and was skilled at what he did. Tom recently completed a Bachelors Degree in Software Engineering from the University of Phoenix. Work and education were very important to Tom, a value Tom strived to pass on to his daughter Rachel.

Tom enjoyed computers, but his greatest enjoyment was that of his daughter, Rachel, of whom he was very proud.

He is survived by his daughter, Rachel Schmitz of Wylie, Texas; his twin brother, Tim Schmitz (Shirley) of Oklahoma City, Okla.; a sister, Donna Jones of Iowa City; a brother, Don Schmitz (Linda Gramm) of Iowa City; and many nieces and nephews.

His parents and a nephew, Austin Jones, died earlier.

Thoughts can be shared with the family at

www.lensingfuneral.com.