Thomas Michael Emmons

Thomas “Tom” Michael Emmons of Millington, age 77, passed away on Monday, July, 27, 2026 while at the University of Michigan Health. He was born on December 1, 1948, in Caro, the son of the late Erssel and Stella (Kloc) Emmons.

He attended Caro High School and graduated with the Class of 1967. In 1968, Tom was drafted into the United States Army and served for nearly two years with one year in Vietnam as a member of the renowned 101st Airborne Division. In recognition of his dedication and service, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star Medal.

Tom met the love of his life, Cheri Schmidt, in 1966 and they married on August 1, 1970 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Caro. He worked at General Motors as a Skills Trade Welder for thirty-eight years until his retirement in 2007.

He was a quiet, curious man with a remarkable mechanical mind. He had a natural ability to understand how things worked and rarely needed instruction to learn something new. Give him a manual or present him with a problem, and he would patiently study it until he figured it out on his own. His mechanical aptitude was evident even as a child. His mother would recall how he would take apart engines and clocks simply to understand how they worked, even if he couldn't always put them back together. After retiring, that same ingenuity remained. With nothing more than a photograph in a magazine for inspiration, Thomas designed and built a beautiful garden shed entirely on his own for his for his wife, Cheri.

After retirement, Tom fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot. His passion for aviation also led him to work on aircraft as a hobby, developing the skills of air power and frame mechanic with Inspection Authorization to work on his own plane. He loved anything aviation related and attended the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and their annual fly-in for over thirty years.

He will be remembered for his quiet strength, unwavering work ethic, and remarkable ability to solve just about any problem. More than anything, Tom will be remembered as a devoted husband, proud father, and loving grandfather whose steady presence and gentle nature will be deeply missed.

Left to cherish Tom’s memory is his wife of nearly fifty-six years, Cheri Emmons; son and daughter-in-law, Michael & Sarah; grandchild, Christopher (Ellen); great-grandchildren, Lincoln, Ruby, and Isla; sister, Jessica (Pat) McTaggart; sisters-in-law, Deanna Holland, Bonnie Robb; and many loving nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents Tom was preceded in death by his brother William “Bill” Emmons.

Tom’s funeral service will be on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at the Ransford Funeral Home of Caro. Rev. Brad Haist will officiate with the entombment following at Indianfields Township Cemetery in Caro. The family will be present to receive visitors from 10:00 a.m. until the time of his service. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider memorial contributions to University of Michigan.