Thomas “Tom” G. Spiller was born on May 15, 1959, to Conrow Spiller and Twilla May Spiller. He passed away on May 12, 2024, at his home near Assaria, Kansas.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Conrow Spiller and Twilla May Spiller and his sisters, Debra Irene Spiller and Kathleen Joyce Durr.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Karla J. Spiller; his eldest son, Klay Spiller, and his wife Sarah Spiller of Phoenix, Arizona; his youngest son, Klint Spiller, and his wife Chelsy Spiller of Assaria; and his four cherished grandchildren: Luke Spiller and Haley Spiller of Phoenix; and Lowell Spiller and Lyndon Spiller of Assaria. Tom is also survived by his brother, Steven Spiller, and his wife Jan Spiller of McPherson, Kansas.
Tom and Karla were united in marriage on May 26, 1984, in Assaria. Tom died just 13 days shy of Tom and Karla’s 40th year anniversary and 3 days shy of Tom’s 65th birthday. In their rural home outside of Assaria, Tom and Karla raised their two children and generated countless memories.
Tom graduated from McPherson High School, and he attended Lamar Community College on a scholarship for livestock judging.
Tom was fearless and adventurous in his own way. In his 20s, Tom was active in the rodeo circuit, riding bulls, wrestling steers, and roping, and for much of his life, he broke and trained horses as a side job, and he did this despite being bucked off and rolled on multiple occasions. Despite all of these near-death experiences, Tom always found a way to get back up and fight through it, which was the theme of his life.
In his professional life, Tom worked the majority of his life for Hedlund Electric Inc. Tom was a hard worker who loved his job, and he never had any plans to retire despite getting sick late in life.
Outside of work, Tom found joy in playing with his kids, his nieces and nephews, and, especially, his grandchildren. Tom also enjoyed watching KU basketball, the Dallas Cowboys, and bull riding and playing basketball.
Tom was known for his toughness, but he was also known for his kindness and generosity, always ready to offer a helping hand to his family, friends, and neighbors in times of need.
A funeral service to honor and remember Tom’s life will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church, 843 Lewis Ave, Salina. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Rolling Hills Zoo and/or First Baptist Church.