Obituary for Thomas O. "Tom" Claflin

Tom Clatflin, 83, of La Crosse, WI, passed away September 23, 2022. The family invites you to join us in celebrating his life on Thursday October 6, 2022, from 5-8PM at the Cleary Alumni and Friends Center located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse; 615 East Avenue N, La Crosse, WI 54601 He was born April 1, 1939, in Rippon WI, to Oral 'Ole' and Cleo (Nyre) Clatflin. He was a 1957 graduate of Central High School in Aberdeen, SD. In 1961, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Specialized Fields from Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen, SD; his Master of Arts in 1963 from South Dakota State University and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1966 from the University of South Dakota. His primary area of study was Aquatic Biology and upon receipt of his PhD, he moved with his family to La Crosse, WI where he joined the teaching staff at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the Biology Department. Throughout his career at UW-L, he taught a countless number of students who benefited from his vast knowledge of water ecology, with time spent in the classroom, on a houseboat on the Mississippi or in Northern Wisconsin at the Pigeon Lake Field Station. In 1969, he was one of four founding members and President of the Mississippi River Research Consortium and in 1993 was the recipient of its most prestigious award, the 'Friend of the River' Award. This organization continues to support water ecology initiatives regionally and nationally. In 1972, he founded and was the first director of the UW-L River Studies Center which provided a platform for students and researchers to gain hands on experiences studying the health of freshwater systems, rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds. Without his vision and leadership, the RSC would not have come into being what it is today – a center with a regional, national and in some respects global reputation, with many of its students becoming leaders at universities, agencies, and corporations around the country. It has earned a reputation for the high quality of research, service and teaching by faculty and staff. 'Just because we are at a small comprehensive university, that doesn't mean that we can't do great things.' He became known as a regional and national expert on water ecology, testifying in several national court cases involving the Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee Tombigbee rivers among others; one time taking his knowledge and experience to Russia to share his expertise with educators there who studied the Volga River. He was relentless in his pursuit of knowledge and change. He served as Chairman of the Faculty Senate for three terms and is the past Chair and Professor Emeritus of the Biology Department at UW-L; is a former President of the North American Benthological Society (now known as the Society of Freshwater Science); he consulted with the Army Corp of Engineers which has resulted in many current practices used to preserve nature's waterways. He retired from teaching in 2001. In 2018, UW-L constructed the Prairie Springs Science Center which currently houses all science educational programming at the University. The River Studies Center was dedicated and named for him and his commitment to continuing education. His happy place was always on a river or a lake, whether it was researching the Mississippi, fishing for walleye at Ghost River in Canada or hanging out at that secret fishing spot on Lake Onalaska that only he and a select few know about. His love of learning was only eclipsed by his love of people and a call to service. His students remember his big smile, loud laugh, calm countenance, and encouragement to think and self-actualize. He put people at ease with his quiet calm, his sense of humor and prolific use of sarcasm. He often would say he converted to Celsius and started reporting his age as such, which means he was a mere 28.33 at the time of his passing. He only ate dessert 'if he was alone or which someone'; if you asked him what kind of pizza he liked, he would say 'large'; if you asked him what kind of ice cream he liked, he would say 'yes'. He taught his Russian colleagues the meaning of 'piece of cake' who would then attempt to use this play on words through the language barrier. His commitment to the people around him was second to none. He would shovel your sidewalk or mow your lawn if you could not; he spearheaded volunteer efforts for the Salvation Army for over 30 years and spent time ringing bells, feeding, and cooking for the homeless, delivering meals to schoolchildren in the summers who likely would not otherwise eat because their one meal a day was the school, and working as part of the Board of Directors. He and Louise adopted countless families at Christmas time over the years and showered them with gifts and necessities often extending a young child's belief in Santa for one more year. He built homes for Habitat for Humanity and built birdhouses to sell in the Habitat ReStore. He quietly donated time, resources, and money to causes close to his heart, never wanting recognition or notoriety, often refusing public acknowledgement of his contributions. He walked this earth with a quiet pride in all that he accomplished. He has been quoted as saying, "I do this for very selfish reasons," "I do it because it makes me feel good." He was named Coulee Region Volunteer of the Year in 2016. To his students he was Dr. Clatflin or Dr. C, but to the rest of us he was a husband, father, grandfather - Dad, Grandpa, Paki Tom - and friend. He viewed his family as the greatest accomplishment of his life. Quiet pride would not be words used to describe him when it came to his family. He was overtly proud of his children and grandchildren who remember their dad and grandpa as a man who loved to fish, who loved watching the CUBS, who played cribbage better than anyone and would mercilessly beat you at the game regardless of your age. He was patient to a fault and some of the best memories are times spent on his boat with a line in the water and a conversation about life. If you are lucky, you have a custom-made fishing pole frum his basement shop. These are scattered across North America, Canada and as far away as South America. His grandchildren remember a man who always found ways to make them feel special - some chose visits to see him and Grandma over Disney, others cherish learning how to clean fish after a day on a lake (in the kitchen sink, no less) and everyone remembers his legendary apple pancakes that required a two-day prep. His selfless approach to life resulted in him always making sure the people around him were happy and well cared for, always prioritizing others over himself, even when he wasn't feeling all that great. He was the type of person who made you remember how he made you feel - important, special, smart, successful - through simple gestures of kindness and generous acts of love. He loved music, played the guitar and piano, loved to tinker in his shop. A day did not go by that we did not feel loved by him. He was a man we could look up to, to aspire to be like and we all see pieces of him in our mirrors. He was our hero, our rock. He wanted nothing more than to leave this earth better than he found it. We think he accomplished this in spades. He is survived by his wife, Louise (Anderson) Clatflin, his children, Christopher Clatflin (Elaine Robison), Jennifer Scheer (Scott Scheer) and Andrew Clatflin; his seven beloved grandchildren, David Clatflin, Jack Scheer, Maria Clatflin, Peter Clatflin, Nina Clatflin, Taylor Clatflin and Nicholas Scheer, and countless friends and colleagues. He is preceded in death by his parents Ole and Cleo Clatflin, sister, Alice Clatflin, brothers Warren “Joe” Clatflin and John Clatflin; sister-in-law Maureen Clatflin. The family invites you to join us in celebrating his life on Thursday October 6 2022 5 to 8PM at the Cleary Alumni and Friends Center located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin La Crosse 615 East Avenue N La Crosse WI 54601 Although he would prefer a party to a wake, he also never liked people making a fuss over him. Please come as you are, and feel free to wear CUBS or Badgers apparel. If you cannot make it, please find some water, throw in a rock or two, drop a line in and try and catch a fish, go for a boat ride, and remember him as he was. He would like that. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to The Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity.