Thomas Elden Pulkrabek

Thomas Elden Pulkrabek, 76, of Dillon, Colorado, passed away peacefully Saturday, March 30, 2024, at home after a year and a half battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Originally born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 20, 1947, his family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado when Tom was in junior high. After graduating from Cheyenne Mountain High School, Tom eventually moved to Kansas City to pursue a career in computer science.

After his marriage to his wife, Donna, in 1983, he strived to build a life full of success, humor, and travel. After 30 years at Kansas City Southern Railway, he retired at the young age of 50 to begin enjoying all the things he worked so very hard for through his tenure. One of Tom’s passions was being the Fire Chief for Tonganoxie Township Volunteer Fire Department for over 20 years. After retiring again, this time from his duties with the Fire Department, he moved full time to the mountains of Colorado in 2009. This has been his dream since he left Colorado Springs when he was young.

Tom enjoyed peering at the mountains from his Colorado home, riding his motorcycle on scenic highways across the country, as well as building and programming a model railroad in his favorite room of the house, the train room.  Through the years, he loved traveling -- from a recent trip to Hawaii before his diagnosis, cruising the Caribbean and Mediterranean, water skiing across Lake of the Ozarks with friends, family ski trips to Colorado, cross-country road trips, to riding the local railways of Colorado.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Maynard and Helen Pulkrabek, and survived by his wife, Donna Pulkrabek; daughter, Shannon (Jake) Keith; daughter, Mary Pulkrabek; brothers Donald Pulkrabek and Dale (Hilda) Pulkrabek; grandchildren, Avery and Palmer Keith; and his furry companion, Sophie.

Tom never knew a stranger, always enjoyed a good laugh and being the life of the party. He will be very missed. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

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