Thomas Donald Cancelose

Thomas Donald Cancelose of Rockford passed away on June 20, 2020 at the age of 89.

He is survived by his beautiful wife of 65 years, Norma; his children Phil (DeeDee) of Rockford and Diane (Larry) Brumbaugh of Bloomington; his grandchildren Susan (Jack) Flicker of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Marie Brumbaugh of Bloomington; his sister Alice Geddes of South Beloit; his brother-in-law Bill Iverson of Arizona; his sister-in-law Joan Cancelose of Rockford; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Ruby (neé Spielman) Cancelose; his mother- and father-in-law Benny and Cecilia Baggio; his brother Carl; his sister Mary Iverson; his brothers-in-law Gordy (Bev) Baggio, Armand (Pat) Maculan, and Roger Geddes; and nieces and nephews Danny and Bonnie Geddes, Chris Iverson, and David Cancelose.

Tom was born January 31, 1931 in Rockford, IL to Thomas and Ruby Cancelose. He grew up in Rockford and graduated from East High School in 1949. He enlisted in the US Marines and proudly served in the Korean War. On May 14, 1955 Tom married the love of his life, Norma (neé Baggio) at St. Anthony’s Church. He spent 25 years with Rockford Fire Department as a firefighter and later moving up to the position of Captain. He went on to become the Winnebago County ESDA coordinator for several years. In 2009, Tom was recognized by the Red Cross and the Rockford Fire Department for having saved the lives of three people by using CPR throughout his career: an alderman who suffered a heart attack at a city council meeting in 1963, a 13-year-old boy who became trapped under a collapsed snow fort in 1966, and a man who suffered a heart attack while mowing the lawn in 1975.

Tom loved going on cruises with his wife, in particular three trips to the Panama Canal and an unforgettable cruise to Hawaii. Closer to home, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and going to casinos. Nearly every morning for many years Tom and Norma loved visiting with friends at McDonalds. Tom loved having coffee with his good friends Clark Byington and Joe Goldhagen. After morning coffee, Tom enjoyed talking stocks with Herb Allen.

A special thank you to his nephew Dan (Gina) Baggio of Huntley, who visited him until his final moments.
Norma is forever grateful to Vicky Beard and Stacy Hirsh of Siena on Brendenwood for making sure that she could be with Tom in his final days; their kindness and support truly made a world of difference. Thank you to the staff at St. Anne’s for their compassion and care for Tom throughout his time there.

Mass will be 11 a.m. Friday, June 26, 2020 at St. Rita Catholic Church. Burial in Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family for a memorial to be established at a later date. You can express condolences online at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.