Thomas James Bussell, 73, passed away on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, doing something that he loved best, working outside, surrounded by nature, and the trees he loved. His big heart beat its last, and he was immediately in the Heaven that he so looked forward to.
Tom leaves behind his beloved wife of 49 years, Barb; his children: Ben (Carrie) Bussell, Louisville, Ky.; Claire (Kyle Beach) Bussell, Bloomington; Danny Bussell, Saint Augustine, Fla.; and Annie (Gabe Deall) Bussell, Mancos, Colo.; as well as grandchildren: Tegan, Elliot, Harvey and Henry. He also leaves behind brothers Bill (Chris) Bussell, Jerry (Cheryl) Bussell; brother-in-law, Alan (Judy) Zielinski; and sister-in-law, Jackie (Tim) Sullivan; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. Tom is now reunited with his mother, Norma; his father, Mervin; his brother, John; father-in-law, Leonard; and mother-in-law, Stel.
Born March 21, 1951, in Reed City, Mich., to Mervin and Norma Bussell, Tom grew up in Stanton, Mich., graduating salutatorian from Central Montcalm High School, where he was named “most sophisticated” and “most gentlemanly.” Tom attended Michigan State University, where he attained his bachelors and masters degrees in packaging engineering. In his dorm, he met his best girl, Barb Zielinski, who he married on Sept. 6, 1975. Tom and Barb, throughout their marriage were the biggest Spartan fans around, constantly sharing their crazy love of MSU. Tom truly bled green and white.
After graduation, Tom took his first career job with Zimmer, in Warsaw as a packaging engineer, and it was there that he met his oldest friends, most of whom also graduated from MSU, bonding them for life. Tom later worked for Paragon Medical, as VP of engineering, and later in sales.
Tom retired from Paragon in December 2014, and was intent on enjoying his retirement years. The last 10 years have been filled with taking a slow pace, smelling the roses, meeting dozens of friends for coffee, constantly reading, strengthening friendships, and serving in many capacities at Presby, his beloved church home of over 40 years (Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church).
But mostly, Tom was the friend that everyone hopes to find in life. He was compassionate, thoughtful, humble, affectionate, generous and absolutely not wanting any accolades or fanfare. So many gifts and gestures were done anonymously, almost stubbornly so. He strived to keep those things between himself and God, who he loved so faithfully and deeply. Over cups of coffee, he listened to so many friends who needed to confide and unload, and absolutely took all confidences to his grave. He had a habit of always wanting to keep the conversation on the other person’s needs, and not on himself. He was a man of sterling character, always visiting lonely friends, generously supporting causes that were meaningful to him, yet remaining happily in the background.
Tom’s passions, other than his deep faith, were Barb, their four kids, who adored him, and his four grandkids, who’ll always be told stories of their amazing Papa. And of course, the Detroit Lions.
Tom loved nature so much. Being surrounded by God’s creation made him feel complete. Specifically, trees were his thing: the cutting, splitting, stacking, hauling, and burning of wood. He never tired of it. His three acres of hilly property were planted with oaks, maples, spruce trees and redbuds, all carefully curated by Tom. He loved his home, the pond and land surrounding it, and always felt part of it in some integral way. He was the original Nature Boy, and felt most like himself out among the trees.
He was a voracious reader, always working on a novel, sharing favorite books with his kids, as they shared theirs with him. Tom started every day with a cup of coffee, his Bible and his “Jesus Calling” devotional, which had many, many paragraphs underlined, with dog-eared pages and comments throughout. It allowed him to feel close to God in such a natural, unassuming way. Tom was quietly confident in his faith, and was absolutely against being pushy about it with others. His goal was to show by example what faith in God offers us in this life: a sense of hope, peace, fulfillness and a spirit of love toward his fellow man. That was Tom in a nutshell.
Fishing with his Zimmer buddies for 20 years on their annual fly-in fishing trips to Red Lake, Ontario, was another passion. The 1,000-mile drive with great friends, and the fun and memories made were some of his favorite times.
Tom was also crazy about cats, having been a cat dad several times throughout his life until 2010. His last three weeks were packed full of fun and sweetness as he, his kids and grandson Henry all headed to the local animal shelter and brought home two kitties. Tom spent his last few weeks equipping his backyard shed for the kitties to have a cozy home. They brought such happiness to him, and added a fun spark to his life, as he again became a cat dad.
Tom’s deep love for his children, and the ones they love, was something special to see. They all felt calm, cared for, beloved and took his advice to heart, since it was always spot on. His favorite times were with Ben, Claire, Danny and Annie.
Tom’s absence leaves such a hole in the fabric of the community of friends he cultivated for 50 years. He had dear friends from his first days at Zimmer, from his 45 years at Presby, friends of his kids, who loved him like an uncle. His quiet kindness and his accepting, non-judgemental ways will be missed by all who knew him. Tom has shown us how to live this life. It may be a cliche, but if Warsaw were Bedford Falls, Tom would be George Bailey, the richest man in town.
Friends and family are invited to share time with the family from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw.
Tom’s life will be celebrated with a Celebration of Life service at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 210 S. High St., Warsaw, Indiana, and officiated by Pastor Dr. Erik F. Ohman and Pastor Aaron Klein. He will be laid to rest with a private family graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery in Warsaw.
Donations in Tom’s memory may be made to Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church (warsawpresby.org), Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County (awl.com), Hannah Center (hannahcenter.org), Bloomington; or World Central Kitchen (wck.org).
Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s website at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.