Thomas S. Watkins, 78 of Bettendorf, IA, formerly of Aledo, IL, passed away Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice Home in Bettendorf. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 6, at Fippinger Funeral Home in Aledo. The Funeral Service will be 10 a.m., Friday, March 7, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Aledo. Interment will be at the Rock Island National Cemetery where graveside military rites will be conducted. Memorial contributions may be left to Messiah Lutheran Church. Online condolences can be made at fippingerfuneralhome.com.
Dad was born in Hinsdale, IL, and grew up in the Tinley Park and Chicago areas until he left for Monmouth College in 1964. It was there, in the theater department, that he met our mom, Nancy Koresko. They dated throughout college and while he didn’t earn high marks from Mom’s parents, especially after landing a plane in Papa Sam’s field, which Papa had to re-plow so Dad could take off again, his in-laws came around and grew to love him and treat him like a son.
Mom and Dad were married after college at Messiah Lutheran Church in Aledo on August 31, 1968. At that point, Dad had joined the Army and during his 5 years of active duty, he and Mom were stationed in Germany, Oklahoma and eventually North Carolina. He also served a tour in Vietnam with the Army’s 82nd Airborne.
While Dad had been raised a city boy, Mom quickly turned that around and by the time we moved to Mercer County, Illinois, Dad was donning cowboy boots and seed corn caps and showing off his epic dance moves to “Tulsa Time” and other country favorites.
He began his English teaching career at Winola High School in Viola, IL, in 1976 and taught there several years before moving to the Sherrard school district, where he taught until 2009.
Dad’s closest friends, Steve Nelson and Rick Wyffels stuck by Dad through thick and thin and, together, the three of them created countless memories during fishing excursions and participating in various shenanigans. They often enjoyed eating out with the wives, including Steve’s wife, Linda, and Rick’s wife, Kathy. From 1980 to 2019, Mom and Dad annually visited Stratford, Canada, in October to attend the Shakespeare Festival and always with Steve. During these trips, they enjoyed watching multiple plays, exploring the local attractions, and savoring beer and brats. In 2001, Steve’s wife, Linda, joined in, elevating their Canadian adventures to legendary status.
Dad enjoyed cruising around in his red Ford Ranger and playing his acoustic guitar. He also took great pleasure in fishing and golfing, but readily admitted he wasn’t very good at either one and may have thrown a club or two into the woods. He also had an uncanny ability to hook himself with fishing hooks, most memorably in his neck with the Pocket Popeil portable fishing rod that his bargain-hunting father got a “great deal on” through a TV special.
My dad had an exceptional work ethic, which he passed on to my brother, Sam. Sam recounts that during the summers, they worked together on various projects, such as chopping and splitting wood, roofing, and renovating rental properties. Dad’s humor was always better when he was engaged in hard labor, which made the tasks they were completing feel less like work and since Dad often fell victim to comical mishaps, he kept us all frequently entertained.
Dad was a member of Messiah Lutheran Church since 1975. He served on the Aledo City Council as an alderman, the Messiah Lutheran Church Council, volunteered for the Christian Care Center in Rock Island, provided ministry to jail inmates and drove vets to the Iowa City VA for medical appointments.
Dad was married to Mom for 52 years before she died in 2019. He missed Mom terribly, but he met Maureen in the summer of 2022 and they married May 16, 2023. Maureen made the last years of Dad’s life happier, and we will be forever grateful to her for how she loved and cared for him.
Dad was preceded in death by our mom, Nancy Watkins. He is survived by his current wife, Maureen Golinvaux of Bettendorf, IA. He leaves behind two children, me, Deborah McGrath (Scott), from Bettendorf, IA, and Sam Watkins (Mindy) of Peoria, IL. He also leaves behind three grandchildren, John McGrath (Fiancé Zoë Dolezal), Davenport, IA; Sam McGrath, Peoria; and Alaina Watkins, Peoria. His sister, Suzanne Klein of Seattle, WA, and brothers-in-law, Andrew Koresko (Carol) and John Koresko (Cindy), all of Aledo, and Bill Koresko (Becky) of Reynolds also survive, as well as several nieces and nephews.