Thomas Kevin Huisman, 64, of Ames, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 26, 2020, in his home surrounded by his family. Tom was diagnosed with esophageal cancer one month after he retired in August of 2017. His courage and determination to live during his three-year battle with cancer were an inspiration to all who knew him. A celebration of life memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2020, at First United Methodist Church in Ames at 11:00 am. It will be a closed family service due to COVID limitations but will be available to watch for all who are interested through a live stream at www.fumcames.org.

Tom was the son of Charles and Joyce Huisman, of Ames. He was born at Mary Greeley Medical Center on October 26, 1955. He grew up in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in 1973. He started his college career at Iowa State where he was a proud member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He completed his BS degree in Computer Information Systems (CIS) from West Texas State University and was named the outstanding CIS graduating senior in 1984. He earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Tulsa and was proud to complete the degree in one year with a 4.0 GPA.

Tom and Julie dated for eight years and married in Ames at the United Church of Christ on April 3, 1982. Tom was known as the “super-smart computer guy” in the family and worked in information technology throughout his career. He held numerous IT positions with Phillips Petroleum Company in Borger, Texas, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Stavanger, Norway, Caracas, Venezuela, and Maracaibo, Venezuela. Tom and Julie retired from Phillips in 2000 and moved to Ames to be closer to extended family.

After several months, Tom decided he was too young to retire and wanted to go back to work! He worked for Becker Underwood in their IT operations for several years. His next career move was to the State of Iowa, where he served as the Chief Information Officer for the Department of Human Services. His final employer was Wells Fargo, in West Des Moines, where he served as a Vice President in the Mortgage Division. Tom successfully completed his career and retired from Wells Fargo in the fall of 2017.

Left to cherish his memory is his beloved wife Julie and their three children, Kevin Huisman of Ames, Melissa Huisman of Austin, Texas, and Karina Huisman Kendall of Manning, Iowa. He had one grandchild, Bianca Anne McConkey of Ogden, Iowa. Karina married Mark Kendall on July 25th, 2020, one day before his passing. The couple is expecting their first child, Ellen Kathy-Marie Kendall, due on December 8, 2020, and Tom was thrilled to meet his second granddaughter. Tom also leaves behind many members of his loving family –– his mother, Joyce Huisman of Ames, his sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Tom Thomas of Ames, his brother and nephew, Ted and Nick Huisman of State Center, and his sister and nephew, Laura and Grant Beckett of Everett, Washington.

His children were his pride and joy, and he spent his life making sure they were taken care of in every way. Tom was so proud of the ways his children grew into exceptional adults, each with their own unique successes. In his son Kevin, he saw a remarkable and resilient father and a man who turned his culinary passion into a thriving career as a chef at Greek House Chefs. In his daughter Melissa, he saw a driven woman, who started and successfully ran her own creative consulting business, while pursuing music on the side, a passion they shared. In his daughter Karina, he saw a young woman who overcame many obstacles to create a beautiful life and future family with the man of her dreams. He was thrilled at the milestones they each achieved in his lifetime, and had high hopes for their futures and all they will create as a continuation of his legacy.

Beyond his passion for his family, Tom had many hobbies and interests that fulfilled and enriched his life. His lifelong love was running, and he completed 12 marathons in cities across the world. Notable locations included Copenhagen, Denmark, Frankfurt, Germany, Stavanger, Norway, and London, England. Tom was most proud of achieving his running career goal of qualifying for and running the elite Boston Marathon, successfully doing so two times, in 2004 and 2005 by the age of 50.

Tom was at his best when entertaining family and friends, and especially loved doing so at his happy place –– on the lake. In his youth, he was a talented water skier and loved being out on the boat throughout his entire life. He enjoyed many lake weekends at Grand Lake in Oklahoma, and Clear Lake, Iowa. He was a magnificent cook, and in recent years took up a love for gardening. Tom’s love for music was unmatched, and he had classic rock playing in the background at all times. He was a talented trumpet player, even having marched in the Iowa State Marching Band for a time. Tom was a passionate investor and loved working the stock market at 4am every morning. Tom and Julie had an exceptional network of cherished friends from all over the world. Fun, travel, and adventure were always a big part of their lives, and he was cracking jokes with his friends even into his final days. His people were his everything, and he had a huge heart and brilliant mind.

Tom was predeceased by his father Charles Huisman, his mother and father-in-law Keith and Ellen Landon, his brothers-in-law Monty Hemphill and Larry Beckett. We are sure he is thrilled to be reunited with them all.

Arrangements are under the care of Adams Funeral Home of Ames. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.adamssoderstrum.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church or Youth and Shelter Services. The family would like to thank all who knew and loved Tom and the Huismans for their unending support and love through the past few years. He finished his race well, and we are so proud of him.