Thomas H. Bair


Thomas H. Bair, Baraboo, age 75, passed away on Saturday, October 27, 2018, at St. Clare Hospice House in Baraboo. He was born in Baraboo on May 13, 1943, the son of Harold and Evelyn (Grover) Bair. Tom was a 1961 graduate of Baraboo High School and later received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the College of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was a lifetime educator who began his elementary school teaching career with the Cudahy School system (Milwaukee County) and later returned to Baraboo where he taught at South School until his retirement.On November 13, 1973, he married Joan Kosmicki at the court house in Baraboo. In 1982, their marriage was later blessed at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Tom and Joan resided in Baraboo for many years before moving to Milwaukee where Joan preceded him in death. After a while, he decided to again resume teaching, so Tom returned to the classroom for a few years with the Detroit, Michigan Public School system. Eventually, he decided to expand his horizons and moved to Louisiana where he taught adult education at the secondary level for a year and then on to Texas where he spent three years teaching adult basic education for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Tom often reminisced that these two experiences were the most important and satisfying work of his entire teaching career.In 2001, after concluding his teaching career in Texas, he decided to return to Baraboo with Devil's Lake being one of the main reasons. He was semi retirement working as a part time shuttle bus driver for several years at the Wilderness on the Lake. Tom often recalled the summers of his college years where he worked at the South shore concession stand as well as the chateau on the North shore. Now back in Baraboo, he made it a habit to walk one of the park trails most every day regardless of the weather. Prior to the onset of failing health, Tom also served as a volunteer at the Devil's Lake Nature Center, an activity that he thoroughly enjoyed.Tom was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and is survived by his former wife and good friend, Candace Spaulding, of West Bloomfield, Michigan; sister Donna Meyer of Sauk City, sister-in-law LaDale Bair of Baraboo, as well as longtime good friend Tom Slezak of Hyattsville, Maryland. He is further survived by several nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. He was also preceded in death by brothers Allen and Charlie.Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Baraboo. Father Jay Poster will officiate. Burial will take place at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Baraboo. Friends may call at the church on Wednesday from 10:00a.m. until the time of services. Memorials may be made to the Baraboo Area United Way. The Redlin Funeral Home is serving the family. For online condolences, please visit www.redlinfuneralhome.com.The family would like to thank the physicians and nursing staff at St. Clare Hospital and St. Clare Hospice House for all the care and compassion given to Tom. Special thanks are also conveyed to Dr. Eric Hamburg, Tom Caflisch, Mike Kahle and to Father Jay Poster.