Thomas Erz, age 62, died Thursday, April 30, 2015, at his home in Brookings. Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 3, 2015, at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Wounded Warrior Project. Thomas John Erz was born December 8, 1952, at McLaughlin, South Dakota, to Vincent and Marilyn (Hepper) Erz. He was raised in South Dakota, was a talented high school athlete, graduated from Roncalli High School in Aberdeen in 1971, and then attended SDSU. He served in the U.S. Air Force from September 1972 until April 1976, during the Vietnam War. He was stationed for a time in Thailand. Thom worked at the Coast to Coast Warehouse in Brookings for 25 years, and played in the bands Country Edition and Justbcuzz for 20 years. He was employed at SDSU for the past 15 years. An avid nature enthusiast, Thom enjoyed camping, geocaching, hiking, bird watching, and biking, and visiting Walt Disney World with his children and grandchildren. Survivors include his mother, Marilyn; siblings, Jane, Dan, and Brad; children, Nathan, Sarah, and Emily; step-children, Jessica and Sandra; grandchildren: Ethan, Chloe, Julia, Carson, Will, Cameron, and Adalyn; and spouse, Donna. He was preceded in death by his father, Vincent; sibling, Barbara; step-daughter, Nicole.