Thomas Lee Strackeljahn

Thomas Lee Strackeljahn, 59, of Waterloo, Illinois, passed away Sunday, July 9, 2023. He was born February 25, 1964 in East St. Louis to Robert and Marlene (Johanning) Strackeljahn. Almost 30 years ago he married Keri Goodman.

Tom Strackeljahn had a smile that was warm with more than a hint of mischief- matched by the sparkle in his eye. With the encouragement from his parents, Tom was a driven, self-employed man who pushed himself every day to be successful. He ran a busy window and door business for 30 years. He always instilled in both children- Shelby and Connor- the importance of hard work and self-motivation, “Don’t Dream of Success, Work for it”. When Tom wasn’t working, you could probably find him throwing back a few Stags and telling stories. In all of his free time, he lived for those perfect summer days boating (with his dream boat) out on the crystal clear water at Table Rock Lake with family and friends. Tom’s stubbornness and Keri’s patience kept them going through the toughest times and the darkest days. Tom spent his final days surrounded by his family at Evelyn’s House in Creve Coeur and joined Jesus for Sunday morning church on July 9th.

Survivors left to cherish his memory include his wife, Keri Strackeljahn; children, Shelby and Connor Strackeljahn; mother, Marlene Strackeljahn; siblings, Jessica (Rolland) Trempert, Betty (Kenneth) Coleman, Mary (Phil) Hill and Robert (Kellie) Strackeljahn. Tom is preceded in death by his father, Robert L. Strackeljahn.

A memorial service will be held Friday, July 21, 2023 at 7:00pm in Lake View Funeral Home, 5000 N. Illinois St., Fairview Heights, IL with visitation from 4:00pm until time of service. Due to our personal heart-warming experience, memorial contributions can be made to Evelyn’s House. 1000 N. Mason Road, Creve Coeur, MO 63141.