Thomas Alan Fahrbach, 81

Thomas Alan Fahrbach, 81, died at Marshfield Medical Center in Park Falls on August 17, 2025.
Born January 24, 1944 in Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin, Tom was the third of four sons born to
Cliff and Helen (Buchanan) Fahrbach. The brothers, each born approximately a year apart,
grew up very close, running around their neighborhood and getting into many boyhood
shenanigans with each other. After graduating high school Tom traveled cross country until he
ran out of money, and, after being wired some from his parents, decided he needed to toughen
up. He then joined the Air Force as a medic and was stationed in Japan as part of the U.S.
presence in the area after the Korean War. Afterward he used the G.I. Bill to study social
services at the University of Oshkosh where he made many lifelong friends and met his future
wife, Millie. During his education he decided to change fields to special education and after
graduating college and getting married, moved to Glidden, Wisconsin on a tip from a friend that
there were teaching jobs up north. Tom was the special education teacher for the Glidden
School District for 22 years, during which time he and Millie had a daughter, Jennie, and he
helped instruct a wide range of students before retiring in 2002. After that he enjoyed his time
by supporting his wife, who was still school librarian at the Glidden School, and doing more of
what he always loved: fishing, hunting, spending time with his friends, and talking with his
brothers.
While not born locally, Tom lived half his life in the Northwoods and loved the solitude and
natural beauty he could have here. Once they moved to their house in Shanagolden Tom and
Mil never wanted to move again and made it their goal to live there as long as humanly
possible. Tom made connections to people easily, always a jovial, whimsical personality that
people enjoyed being around. But his friends and family were always the most important part of
his life. He made it a priority to visit friends, take trips with his brothers, and spend many hours
on the phone talking with them all. A great day for him would be spent drinking beer and
playing cribbage at a friend’s house while waiting for tip-ups or going thrifting for “deals” and
“sales”. Tom was a very devoted husband, sharing nearly 48 years of life with his wife. After
Millie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, help was hard to find because of their rural location. Tom
became her primary caregiver for several years, doing his best to care for her and himself at
home. When it became too much for him to handle, Millie moved to Copper Falls Assisted
Living in Mellen, but no matter the weather or the season, Tom would visit her and eat a meal
with her nearly every single day. As he once overheard someone who worked there say, “I
know what love is. It’s that right there.” Tom is sorely missed by many friends and is survived
by his wife, Mildred; daughter, Jennifer (James) Gillogly; 3 grandchildren, Helen, Erin, and
Jason; and brothers, David (Evelyn) and Daniel. He was preceded in death by his parents,
Clifford and Helen; sister, Judith; and brother, James.
A celebration of life memorial will be held on Sunday, August 23rd from 2 to 6 PM at the Glidden
VFW Post 7300. Food will be provided and drinks can be purchased from the Hall but pot luck
sides are welcome.