Thomas R. Schroeder

Jul 10, 1944 -

Jun 6, 2024

Thomas R. Schroeder passed away on June 6, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. Tom was born on July 10, 1944, in Dunkirk, N.Y., to parents Elizabeth and Ernest Schroeder and was raised in Fredonia, N.Y. After graduating from high school in 1962, he began to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a fishery biologist and working in Alaska.

He attended Colorado State University from 1962-69, receiving a B.S. degree in fishery science and continuing to work on a master's degree for two years assessing toxicity levels of pesticides to salmon and trout. While at CSU, Tom landed his first summer job with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in 1964, working for the Commercial Fisheries Division on a salmon counting tower in Bristol Bay.

During graduate school, he met his lifelong soul mate Jean Wilshusen. They were married on March 22, 1969. With five summers of working for ADF&G in Bristol Bay while at school, he was hired by the Commercial Fisheries Division as a management biologist in King Salmon, Alaska. He headed to Alaska in April 1969, and Jean followed in June after completing her teaching degree at CSU. Tom worked in King Salmon for a year, transferred to Dillingham for five years and then accepted the position of Area Management Biologist for Lower Cook Inlet in Homer in 1974, managing fisheries for salmon, herring, crab and shrimp. He retired from ADF&G in April 1990, and began work as a private fisheries consultant the next day, working primarily for Exxon Corp. on the Valdez oil spill.

In 1995, while still doing consulting work for Exxon, Tom began cutting, splitting and delivering firewood for free to the needy, disabled veterans and senior citizens in the Homer to Ninilchik area. He continued this for 15 years, delivering over 1,100 cords of wood to people. In 2005, Tom was recognized by the State Legislature for his work receiving the first ever "Serving Alaskans Together" award from the governor and was named "Homer Citizen of The Year" shortly thereafter.

In the last several years, Tom's hobby has been proxy fishing for king salmon for senior citizens at the fishing lagoon. His presence was so frequent that everyone there referred to him as "the Mayor." Tom gave many pointers to people on how to fish and endlessly shared the "secret bait."

Tom is survived by his wife, Jean, of 55 years; daughter, Shelley Schroeder and husband John Jessen of Anchorage; and son, Scott Schroeder and wife Janet and granddaughter Katelynn Schroeder of Killeen, Texas.