Thomas Joseph Redickas was born April 11, 1927 in Chicago to Charles V. and Mabel M. (Harvey) Redickas. His father, Charles, was a Lithuanian immigrant and his mother, Mabel, was born in Illinois to full blooded Irish immigrants.
In the 1930 census, Tom was three years old. His parents were renting a home at 5629 Elizabeth St. in Chicago and paying $40 per month for rent. His father was a typesetter at a printing shop.
Tom attended St. Rita High School in Chicago, Illinois.
He enlisted in the United States Navy on May 1, 1945, during World War II. He served on the U.S.S. Bennington and the U.S.S. Southhampton based in Norfolk, Virginia. He was released from active service on August 7, 1946.
On June 4, 1949, Tom married Wilma M. Smith in Chicago, Illinois.
In the 1950’s, Redickas moved to Marion Illinois and began working for the General Telephone Electronics Company. Tom retired from GTE after 35 years.
In 1960, he became the Civil Defense Director in Marion and in 1964 he became the Williamson County Civil Defense Director, a position he held until his death.
Tom and Wilma divorced and Wilma continued living in Johnston City until her death on May 14, 2005.
He married Joyce Copher on September 15, 1979 in Marion. Tom and Joyce resided at 400 Bainbridge Road and later occupied 407 Bainbridge Road
Mr. Redickas was of the Baptist Faith and was a member of the Marion American Legion Post 147, the Marion Masonic Lodge 89 AF & AM and the Sword of Bunker Hill.
Tom Redickas at age 75, passed away at 9:10 p.m., Monday, July 22, 2002 at his home.
Memorial services were held at 2 p.m., Friday, July 26, 2002 at the Meredith-Blue Funeral Home in Marion with Rev. Lloyd Whittaker officiating. A eulogy was given by Mr. Steve Land. Visitation was held from 12 until 2 p.m., Friday July 26, 2002 at the funeral home.
Military rites were held at the funeral home by the Marion VFW Post 1301. Memorials were made to the “Tom Redickas Fund for Wildlife Preservation”.
Survivors included his wife, Joyce; daughter, Regina Allee of Indianapolis, Indiana; grandchildren, Blake, Robert, Julie, Steven and Debbie and great-grandchildren, Karyn, Wesley, Matthew, Sophie, Miranda, Kristen, Isaac, Hannah, and Sarah.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother.
Joyce (Copher) Redickas, daughter of Carl Otis Copher (1910-1980) and Flo Ella Copher (1909-1988), died in West Frankfort on July 17, 2008.
Redickas was remembered in a Marion Daily Republican article written by Kevin Clark and published on the day following his death, as follows.
Not many people may have known his face, but everyone knew his voice. News of Thomas Redickas began filtering through community channels this morning. Redickas, 75 and a longtime member of Williamson County’s emergency response service community, passed away at his home at 9:10 p.m. Monday evening.
“When we needed a calming voice of assurance, it was the voice of Thomas Redickas.” said Williamson County Commissioner Rex Piper, “Tom and I were very close in friendship, and we worked so close for so long.”
Piper said that he had lost a friend, but the county, in fact southern Illinois, had lost a treasure, “Tom worked for so long, without accepting any compensation. He did it for the love of the people of Williamson County. He was truly a once in a lifetime kind of man.” Piper praised the efforts of his friend and said; “Tom’s voice was the voice of security that everyone turned to. My heart goes out to his family.”
Mayor Butler was reached at his home this morning. When told of the news, the Mayor first expressed shock then replied, “This is a tremendous loss. Tom was in the forefront of the emergency response service for the county for many years. Without a doubt, he will be missed by everyone in the community.”
“Tom Redickas handled about every kind of emergency that came up,” said Commissioner Robert “Dog” Connell. “I can remember when our water supply had run so low that the city was at an emergency level. It was Tom that mapped out a route and made sure we got a couple of pumps and the pipe to feed water into the lake.” The Commissioner continued, “Tom will be sadly missed. He had dedicated his life to civil defense.”
(Data extracted from the Marion Daily Republican, July 2002; Marion City Cemetery Records; Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 10/21/2013)