Where Food, Drinks & Stories Are Shared
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Tom Hrusovsky

July 31, 1947 - May 11, 2023
Kalamazoo, MI

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Life Story Service

Thursday, May 18, 2023
11:00 AM EDT
Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes
Kalamazoo Location
6080 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 375-2900
Driving Directions

Reception

Thursday, May 18, 2023
12:00 PM EDT
Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes
Kalamazoo Location
6080 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 375-2900

Where food, drinks, and stories will be shared.

Driving Directions

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Knights of Columbus Council 1616
936 Lake Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49001

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Ambati
1830 S. Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(269) 349-4961
Driving Directions
Web Site

Taylor's Florist and Gifts
215 E. Michigan Ave.
Paw Paw, MI 49079
(269) 657-6256
Driving Directions
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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Tom Hrusovsky was a man of many special interests but it was evident in every way that his family meant the world to him. Tom’s genuine and good-natured ways of showing affection will forever be remembered by all who knew and loved him.

The 1940s were characterized by WWII. By 1947, some of the most significant inventions that would impact lives for many years to come were created including the Transistor and the Mobile Phone. Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson were household names and the Cleveland Indians began playing all MLB games at Municipal Stadium. During the days of President Truman, Thomas was born to John Joseph and Irene Josephine (Kicko) Hrusovsky, on July 31st, in Youngstown, Ohio. His birth brought his parents great joy.

Growing up in the northeast part of Ohio, Tom lived a typical childhood. He was always into sports and enjoyed the outdoors. He learned the value of earning a decent living through the hard work of his parents. His father worked in manufacturing and his mother was a wonderful homemaker. The family always had a large garden they relied on to supplement their needs. Tom forged his work ethic by pitching in around the house and learning many life skills from his parents. They instilled in him the value of family and working hard to enjoy life's pleasures.

As a teen, he enjoyed being a caddy at the local country club and rubbing elbows with regular league players. Tom loved the extra spending money and set some of his earnings aside for a rainy-day fund. He also enjoyed spending his days off at the lake in the warm summer months. Tom was a Cleveland Guardians (Indians) fan throughout his life and watched as many sports as he could fit into a day! A proud moment was graduating with the Class of 1966 from Holland High School. He valued his education and the friendships he made along the way.

After graduation, Tom entered the world of work. He knew how to put in a hard days work and worked in the building trades industry for fifteen remarkable years. Reliable and dependable, he made many lasting relationships with customers and fellow workers. Later in life, he worked in retail, which he loved as he enjoyed working directly with the public. He was dependable and loyal and his colleagues and bosses alike appreciated his steadfast work ethic. Throughout his adult life, Tom remained close with his siblings. They took several cruises together and enjoyed annual get-togethers at Ohio state parks. He always looked forward to any amount of time they were together, especially around the holidays. Any time he was invited to share in a trip or a gathering, he never turned it down as family was important to him.

Tom’s life would change for the better once he moved to Michigan. He loved the west side of the state and enjoyed his new lease on life. As soon as he arrived, he started following professional hockey and enjoyed the Detroit Red Wings along with attending WMU Bronco’s games. Yet, he remained loyal to his home state teams; the Cleveland Guardians and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Active in his faith life, Tom was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church. He was also a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a regular at each of their gatherings. Church and the Knights offered him many opportunities to engage with his community. Born with a servant's heart, he enjoyed volunteering for many special events and church services.

Tom enjoyed many of the simple pleasures in life and modeled enjoying each and every day to the fullest. He took life one day at a time and never let anything hold him back. He was never one to hold a grudge or have regrets, instead, he looked at life's challenges with a joyful heart. He was grateful for his upbringing and his close connections with family and friends and never took life too seriously. For example, he loved playing golf, but was terrible at it which earned him the nickname, Tom Tee Hacker.

Described as a big kid at heart, he will surely be missed. Tom lived a full life filled with the beauty of his selfless ways of giving so much of his time and resources to so many. May his loved ones always look back fondly on their memories together and trust that he is now at home with his Lord and Savior. May he rest in peace and may his many special memories be eternal.

Tom Hrusovsky of Kalamazoo, Michigan, died on Thursday, May 11, 2023. Members of his family include his siblings: Eileen Pressell, Pat (Petur) Gudlaugsson, Grace (Halli) Borgfjord, Jim (Rachelle) Hrusovsky, and John (Bobbi) Hrusovsky; and several nieces and nephews.

Cremation has taken place. Life Story Services will be held Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 11 AM, at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, (269) 375-2900. A reception will follow in the Life Story Center where food, drinks, and stories will be shared. Visit Tom’s webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com to archive favorite memories, photos, and to sign his guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to Knights of Columbus.

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