Thomas John Lauvetz

Lauvetz, Thomas John, 65, of the Village of Loch Lloyd, Mo, passed away June 24, 2009, at St. Joseph Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. Tom was born on January 10, 1944 in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from Creighton Preparatory School, and received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration, and Master of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska in Omaha. In 1972, he married Susan Heilig of Chicago, IL. Following his graduation from college, Tom began work with Northern Natural Gas Company. He held several positions with Northern, and when he was named Vice President and General Manager of Northern Gas Products, he traveled the world on company business, securing oil and gas supply contracts. His true professional calling was to be in business for himself, which he first experienced while a student at Creighton Prep when he founded a lawn care business, and later in the 1975 when he started T.J. Lauvetz Enterprises, Inc. and purchased a wholesale beer distributing company. In 1982, Tom and his family moved to Hastings, Nebraska where he purchased, renovated, and operated the Imperial Mall. Tom had a reputation for well designed and maintained, quality real estate developments. He constructed and/or renovated many projects in Hastings, most notably the Strand Center, Imperial Theaters, Burlington Center, and Crosier Park Professional Center, which had formerly been a monastery housing the Crosier Fathers. Tom was a creative entrepreneur who was successful in a wide scope of business ventures, and he was generous with his time and business knowledge, and offered sound advice to the many business people who sought his counsel. Tom was active in community and civic activities. He served as President of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Ambassadors, President of Lochland Country Club, and Chairman of the Adams County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. His Board Memberships include: Wells Fargo Bank of Hastings, Downtown Business Improvement District, Board of Public Works, and Hastings Economic Development Corporation. In 2002, he was inducted into the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. In 2004, Tom and Sue selected Loch Lloyd as their retirement destination, and began dividing their time between Loch Lloyd and their lake home in Omaha. Tom is survived by Sue, his wife of 37 years; children: Thomas Justin Lauvetz, Cindy and Rob Willms, Kym and Steve Sorensen, Dana and Darren Hunt, and Kari and Dan McGaughey; grandchildren: Alexa Jo Willms, Jacob, Conner, Ellie and Nate Sorensen, Ethan and Carson Hunt, and Mallory McGaughey; siblings: Dr. Robert Lauvetz, Leslie Lauvetz, Larry Lauvetz and wife Connie; nieces and nephews. SERVICES Monday, 12noon, West Center Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the Lauvetz family has requested donations to NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders). One of Tom’s grandchildren suffers from a rare genetic disorder. Donations to NORD will help fund research initiatives designed to cure, treat and prevent rare disorders in children. Donations can be made directly to NORD at: http://www.rarediseases.org/helping/donate or may also be sent to the family c/o the mortuary.

HEAFEY-HEAFEY-HOFFMANN DWORAK & CUTLER Mortuaries and Crematories 7805 West Center Road Omaha, Nebraska 68124 (402) 391-3900