Thomas Alan Walstrom

Thomas A. Walstrom, age 67, of Rochester, Minnesota, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. Thomas Alan Walstrom was born February 5th, 1952 in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Dean and Patricia (Ryan) Walstrom. He grew up in Omaha and graduated from high school in 1970. He completed his undergraduate studies at Gustavus Adolphus College, earned his master's degree in public administration from the University of Tennessee, and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Tom worked as a legislative auditor for the State of MN for 20 years, as an IT manager with SELCO regional libraries, and most recently as a global network IT manager for Benchmark Electronics, retiring in 2014. Tom was married to Deborah Sharpnack on March 17, 1983. They lived in the Twin Cities area until 1994, when they moved to Rochester. Tom enjoyed golf, photography, cooking, hiking, and worldwide travel. He relished his new role as "Grandpa." Tom is survived by his wife, Deborah Walstrom of Rochester, MN; son, Rick (Britta) Walstrom of Champlin, MN; daughter, Sarah (Dave) Grotha of Woodbury, MN; and four beloved granddaughters. He is also survived by his mother, Patricia Walstrom of Omaha, NE; two brothers, Rick (Janet) Walstrom of Chicago, IL and John (Mary) Walstrom of Indianapolis, IN; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Dean Walstrom. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN 55901. Visitation will be held on Monday, November 25, 2019 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., and one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Rochester Ronald McDonald House or Channel 1 food shelf. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Walstrom family; to share a special memory of condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com