Thomas "Tom" J. Guschl

Thomas John Guschl died peacefully on January 18, 2025. He was born June 24, 1944 in Milwaukee, WI to parents Roswell and Lucille (Zabel) Guschl. Tom graduated from Wauwatosa East High School where he met the love of his life, Carol Studer. They were married in 1968.

After high school, Tom earned his Associates Degree in Photography from the Milwaukee Institute of Technology. He began his career as an industrial photographer for Allen Bradley in Milwaukee, eventually moving to Rockford, IL for a photography job at Sundstrand. In 1986, Tom started his own photography business and worked as a freelancer for many companies in the Rockford region. He earned numerous professional accolades including the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Photographic Craftsman and Master of Photography degrees, the Fuji Masterpiece Award, and had photographs selected for the PPA Loan Collection. His photography business took him all over the world and gave him the opportunity to photograph numerous celebrities and dignitaries including Gerald Ford, the president of Taiwan, Willard Scott, and one of his personal heroes, Rep. John Lewis.

Tom was active in the community as a long-time member of the Monroe Center Lions Club. Tom also served on its board for many years as a Council Member, Secretary, and as the club Tail Twister. His time in the Lions Club made a positive impact on the community.

Tom was a life-long animal lover. He was a life member of the Forest City Dog Training Club where he helped teach training classes and photographed the annual club title winners. He also volunteered for several years at a parrot rescue shelter in Malta, IL.

Tom was an avid music lover both as a performer and a listener. His love for music began when he was a percussionist in his high school band with whom he marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. As an adult he played percussion with the Kishwaukee Valley Concert Band and volunteered for the Stillman Valley High School Music Boosters. He had a prized hi-fi stereo system with a vinyl record and CD collection numbering in the hundreds and loved attending live performances.

Tom had an offbeat sense of humor and always had a joke to tell—even if his family had heard it a million times. He was particularly known for telling jokes that lasted longer than their punchlines deserved. His life will be celebrated with a sharing of Tom anecdotes followed by an open house party on March 16, 1–4pm at Kresge Hall in the Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St. Rockford, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to the Rockford Wind Ensemble or Noah's Ark Animal Shelter.