Thomas Anthony Dlugopolski of Appleton passed away on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, at ThedaCare Hospital in New London, Wis., with family at his side. He was 86.

He was born April 25, 1935 in Marinette, Wisconsin, to parents John and Teckla Dlugopolski. He graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Marinette and went onto Marquette University, where he earned his business degree. He married Frances Lindsay on July 5, 1958, after they both graduated from college and he started his business career in Milwaukee. He was a devoted and loving husband and father, who enjoyed mentoring his sons in the Catholic faith and leading by example, teaching them the importance of family, serving others and the community, and how to play pinochle!

Tom loved every aspect of the business world: working in it, innovating in it, teaching it, and getting involved in the business community wherever he lived.  He held various leadership roles in supply chain, quality, and finance at companies such as Bucyrus-Erie (Milwaukee), Chrysler (Hartford, WI), Harley-Davidson (Milwaukee), Haworth (Holland, MI) and Singer Furniture (Roanoke, VA). He later received his MBA from Averett University in Danville, Virginia. Tom closed out his career by becoming a business owner, starting his business consulting company, Thomas Business Solutions.

Although Tom's business career took him to various cities, Tom was a devout service leader, believing in sharing his time, talent and treasures wherever he could. He was always an active member within the local business community, homeowner's association and in a Catholic church. As a proud and loyal Catholic, Tom often volunteered on church committees and/or assisting as church treasurer. He was also an active volunteer at local Chamber of Commerce organizations and a mentor with SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives). He was a patient man who enjoyed sharing and teaching others, which also led him to teach a few college courses throughout his professional life. You could also find Tom asking about his family members' jobs and sharing his business and life lessons with them all.

Tom had a strong passion for collecting and using Lionel trains and building train sets. He was an avid sports fan of Wisconsin professional sports, enjoyed gardening and 'checking the crops,' and volunteering as a poll worker in local and national elections.

Tom is survived by his wife of 63 years, Frances (Lindsay) Dlugopolski; his four sons: Steve (Sue) Dlugopolski of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; James (Anne) Dlugopolski of Appleton, Wis.; Paul (Mary) Dlugopolski of Athens, Wis.; and Mark (Stephanie) Dlugopolski of Kiel, Wis; his seven grandchildren Taylor, Amanda Lee, Julia, Amanda Anne, Brian, Evan (Kayla) and Connor; two great-grandsons Robert and Andrew; a sister Dolores (Darrell) Mergen; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Don Dlugopolski; daughter-in-law Trudy; and grandchildren Amy and Thomas.

A funeral service is planned for January 27, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at ST. PIUS X PARISH (500 W. Marquette Street, Appleton).   The wake will be held in the narthex from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to either the "Smile Train" or "The Right to Life," two organizations held closely to Tom's heart.  A recording of Tom's funeral will be available on O'Connell Funeral Home's Facebook Page for those who cannot attend. There will be no luncheon afterwards due to Covid concerns at this time.