Thomas Manoni

Thomas Manoni of Port Washington passed away on July 5, 2024.

Tom was born on June 4, 1957, in Chicago, Ill., the son of Antonio and Laura Manoni, who emigrated from Senigallia, Italy, in 1949.

He loved and honored his parents dearly as he watched them make a life in a new country. He worked with his father, who was a plumber and electrician and maintained apartment buildings, and his mother, who was an expert seamstress.

He learned love for the United States as he watched his parents assimilate, learn the language, work hard and appreciate the opportunity the United States gave them. Watching his parents working to make a new life in a new country provided Tom great perspective and made problems he faced in his life small in comparison. This is what made him a very positive person to be with.

Tom grew up in Oak Park, Ill., where he attended Oliver Wendall Holmes Elementary and Oak Park River Forest High School. He played football in eighth grade and the team became the undefeated George Halas League champions. Tom continued playing football in high school. His favorite classes were history, math, economics, mechanical drafting and machine shop.

In addition to working with his father during high school, Tom worked at the local Standard gas station pumping gas and doing minor mechanic work, as a salesperson at the Sears Auto Center and as a relief janitor at apartment buildings to allow the custodians vacations in the summer. Through his work and saving, he paid for his entire college education.

Tom attended Triton Junior College, where he met his wife Debbie in chemistry class. He was a struggling engineering student and Deb was bright and beautiful. She helped him get through chemistry, and that led to Tom asking her out on a date. They dated five years as Tom went off to Bradley University and Deb to the University of Illinois-Champaign, followed by a dietetics internship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. When their educations were complete, Tom and Deb married in 1981 and were together for 43 years.

Tom and Deb settled in Port Washington, Wis., in 1981 and lived the rest of their lives there. Their son Anthony was born in 1984 and daughter Laura in 1986. Both would accomplish the same as their parents — working and saving and paying for their college educations. Tom and Deb completely remodeled their first home and later in 1993 built their dream home on Grant Street.

Tom joined Kohler Co. in 1981 and worked there for 39 years. He spent 14 years with the engine division as a process engineer, then three years putting in the SAP business system throughout the company. In 2000, he joined the global faucet business and worked 23 in three director roles: supply chain, process engineering and product platforms.

Tom traveled to 11 countries throughout the world, leading people in many initiatives. He thoroughly enjoyed working with people and seeing them achieve great things. Tom’s greatest passion was mentoring, and in the last three years of his career he was a mentor to nine associates. A number of them remained close to Tom through the end of his life.

Together with Deb, his family life was a rich one and was No. 1 in his life. Their vacations were camping throughout the U.S.A. with their pop-up camper and canoe strapped on top of the van. Deb was the planning genius, making their trips educational and fun for everyone. Both of their kids played high school sports, so they were always on the go.

Tom loved making videos and taking pictures of all their family events. He maintained an oral history of his parents and aunt and uncle, who also immigrated to the United States. He learned and documented his entire family’s history back to the 1890s in Ancestry.com.

Tom coached recreational soccer for three years in Port Washington. He also taught the U.S. economic system through Junior Achievement to eighth-graders in Sheboygan middle schools for three years.

Together, son Anthony and wife Bridget and daughter Laura and husband Billy brought nine grandchildren to his life and Tom loved them dearly. He loved talking with them and sharing his wisdom and stories of his parents coming to this country.

Tom and Deb maintained close friendships, many from high school, from Port Washington and from Illinois; they visited, traveled with and so enjoyed their time together.

In 2003, Tom bought an old, rusty 1986 Jeep and made a family affair out of restoring it. Six years later, it was completed and to this day looks and runs beautifully.

Later in life Tom enjoyed cruising on his Harley, riding over 18,000 miles. He also could be found on Random Lake fishing in the early morning on his boat.

He loved a wide range of music genres that included ’50s to ’60s rock, the crooners Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Jerry Vale and famous Italian arias and songs sung by Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli.

He had a passion for continuous learning and enjoyed studying world and American history and automotive and mechanical technology. He lived Michelangelo’s famous saying “Ancora Imparo” ... “and yet I am still learning.”

He felt so blessed by the Lord that his last two years were spent in comfort and he could enjoy a quality, normal life. God’s miracle of fine doctors and nurses cared for Tom beautifully through chemo, radiation, Whipple surgery and hospice, and he was so grateful. With his family and friends surrounding him with perpetual calls, texts, cards and visits, Tom spoke of it as love so amplified it was difficult to describe and simply called it “so beautiful.”

Tom’s favorite movie was the 1946 classic ‘It’s A Wonderful Life.” He was moved by the beautiful and powerful message of the multiplying effect people have in how they treat and help others. It influenced how he lived his life from the first time he watched it in 1976.

In the end, he said he had truly lived a wonderful life.

Tom is survived by his loving wife Deb of Port Washington, their children Anthony (Bridget Destree) Manoni of Neenah and Laura (Billy) Borkenhagen of Rhinelander and nine grandchildren, Naomi, Will and Marie Borkenhagen, Elijah Manoni and Greta, Daniel, Anthony, Lizzie and Julian Destree.

He is further survived by brothers Robert (Carolyn) and John (Jessica) Manoni, former sister-in-law Michelle (Hans) Kaiser, nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Mr. Manoni was preceded in death by his parents Antonio and Laura Manoni and sister-in-law Gabriella Manoni.

  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 26, at St. John XXIII Catholic Parish, St. Peter of Alcantara Church, 1800 N. Wisconsin St., Port Washington.  Father Patrick Wendt will preside over the Mass. The family will receive visitors on Friday, July 26, at the church from 9 a.m. until services begin at 11 a.m.

Tom will be laid to rest at St. Mary Cemetery in Port Washington later that day.

  Memorials in Tom’s name are suggested to St. Vincent De Paul Society of Ozaukee County or to the Tom Manoni Scholarship Fund to be used for the benefit of high school students pursuing a career in the trades.

Eernisse Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Online condolences may be left at www.eernissefuneralhome.com.

Tom Manoni wrote his obituary.