No headline

Thomas Anthony Feely, 90

Tom, or “Papa Tom,” was born May 3, 1929, at home on his family farm on the Rathdrum Prairie to Charles W. and Jessie B. Feely. Tom passed away quietly on May 25, 2019, at his home of 63 years on Coeur d’Alene Lake while surrounded by immediate family.

Tom attended grade school at the Valley School District #20 on Prairie Avenue in Post Falls. He graduated from Rathdrum High School in 1947, and attended Lewis and Clark College in Lewiston, Idaho, for 2½ years. Tom dropped out of college when he received his draft notice. After several weeks of paperwork for Uncle Sam, selling his car and moving his possessions home to his parents’ house, he was all but shipped out. The day before he was to leave, Tom walked through a barn and allergies and hay fever took over. The next day, before he even stepped on the bus to be shipped out to basic training, Tom was discharged.

Instead of returning to college in 1950, Tom started working for Bus-Boom-Rah Construction in Coeur d’Alene, who contracted him out to Bonneville Power, constructing footings for transmission power lines from Clinton, Mont., to Mead, Wash. He also found employment with the Coeur d’Alene Bureau of Public Roads, BLM, Coeur d’Alene Highway District #1 and then struck out on his own as an independent custom home builder. Tired of working for himself, he found employment with the Coeur d’Alene School District 271 as head of the maintenance department, and 21 years later he retired full-time in 1991. Tom was considered a master craftsman by his entire family and community. As one niece said, “Papa Tom can fix anything!”

Tom continued to stay in touch with his community and was an elected commissioner for the Worley Highway District for 18½ years. Tom was a member of the Elks, the Eagles and was a Mica Flats Grange Member for more than 40 years.

Tom met the love of his life, Louise Evelyn Mooney, at a friend’s wedding reception at the Mica Flats Grange Hall in 1950, and invited her that same day to go on a date to see the Ice Capades. After four years of dating, they married on June 5, 1954, at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. Tom and Louise would have been married 65 years on June 5, 2019.

Tom is survived by his wife and their two daughters, Corinne Johnson and Catherine (Griff) Jones; a foster son, Bill (and JoAnn) Johnson; his beloved nephew, Chris (and Yvonne) Feely; nine grandchildren and five (soon to be six) great-grandchildren; as well as many other loved nieces, nephews and lifelong friends and neighbors. Tom was preceded in death by his first son, Michael Thomas Feely, who died in an accident in 1989.

Living life to the fullest, Tom never refused a gathering of family or friends, especially if food and spirits were involved. Grandkids loved Papa Tom’s jokes and dry wit. When the grandkids were able to reach and snap his suspenders, they knew Papa Tom would chase them for tickle time amid lots of laughter. The Feely home was always open to visits and even extended stay-overs.

A Mass will be held 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 15, 2019, at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. A celebration of life will follow, from noon to 3 p.m., at the Mica Flats Grange Hall, with lunch provided.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Mica Flats Grange Scholarship Fund, 7465 Kidd Island Road, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.