Thomas Dean Schlosser

Nov 3, 1941 — Sep 17, 2026

Burlington, Colorado

Thomas Dean Schlosser. Photo courtesy of Koons-Russell Funeral Home

Thomas Dean Schlosser 84, passed away at HCA HealthONE in Aurora, CO on September 17, 2026. He was born on November 3, 1941, to George and Crystal (Hartsook) Schlosser in La Junta, CO.

Tom Schlosser was a man who believed in working hard, loving his family, enjoying the outdoors, and never missing an opportunity to share a smile, a handshake, or a good joke.

Tom attended elementary, middle, and high school in Burlington, Colorado. After graduating, he and his older brother, Bill, attended Colorado State University for two years. But their father, G.R. (George Raymond) Schlosser, soon called both boys home to help with the family business, Schlosser Redi Mix Concrete, which had been founded in 1957.

If you knew Tom and Bill, you knew they were about both work and play. During the winter months, when concrete couldn't be poured, the brothers would often head to Aspen. There, they enjoyed being ski bums while working in local taverns to earn some spending money.

It was on one of Tom's trips back to Burlington that he spotted a beautiful young brunette named Diane Dvorak at a Burlington High School football game. Diane was a senior at the time. Tom, never one to be shy, followed her home after the game and asked her parents if he could take Diane on a date. Tom could be quite the charmer, and on that first date he told Diane that he was "going to marry her."

Tom kept his promise.

On January 26, 1963, Tom and Diane were married at St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton, Colorado. Their wedding day began with a cold eastern Colorado blizzard, but the weather did not keep their family and friends away. Just before the ceremony, the sun broke through, and the landscape was transformed into a blanket of white snow sparkling in the sunlight. It seemed as though the heavens themselves were shining down on their wedding day.

Their marriage truly was blessed. Tom and Diane shared 63 wonderful years together.

As life went on, Tom became devoted to raising and supporting his family while also helping his father and brothers grow Schlosser Redi Mix. He dedicated more than 50 years of his life to the family business.

Tom loved working outside in the community. He loved meeting people and had a unique ability to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. He greeted people with a big smile and a firm handshake, and if you really got to know him, chances were good that he would share a joke or two.

Tom possessed a sharp business mind and was highly skilled at running the loader and digging basements for families throughout the surrounding area. He poured his heart and soul into his work and took tremendous pride in the business he, his father, and his brothers built together. Under their leadership, Schlosser Redi Mix expanded to plants in Burlington and Goodland, Kansas, as well as a portable plant.

Tom was committed not only to the family business, but also to the people and communities it served. He worked diligently for decades to help build and support the small communities of eastern Colorado.

And many in the community knew Tommy by a sound that became his own personal signature: two quick honks. As he cruised around town in his red Suburban, Tommy was always on the lookout for someone he called a friend. He would wave as he passed, and those who knew him came to recognize those two familiar honks as a simple but unmistakable greeting from Tommy.

In November 2016, after more than five decades with Schlosser Redi Mix, Tom finally hung up his work hat and retired. But, as anyone who knew Tom would expect, he never really stopped working. He simply traded in his big loader for a lawn mower. In retirement, he took great pride in his hay field and the property surrounding his home. Many people traveling north on Highway 385 probably remember seeing Tom outside and giving a honk as they passed by.

But as important as work was to Tom, family always came first.

Tom and Diane raised three wonderful children, Todd, Kristin, and Cary. Tom was deeply involved in their lives, especially their school activities and sports, and he rarely missed an event.

For Todd, some of his fondest memories are the adventures he shared with his dad. On trips to Canada and Alaska, father and son hunted together, with both tagging a caribou in Canada and a moose in Alaska. They were once-in-a-lifetime adventures that neither would ever forget. The mounts from those hunts remain proudly displayed in Tom and Diane's home, reminders of the time they shared together.

Kristin remembers a dad who was always pushing her to be her best. He would race her across the yard while she hurdled trees, challenging her to run faster. He would also go to the gym with her and shoot baskets before her big games. And from the stands, she could always hear his familiar voice cheering her on: "Drive and hook, Sissy! Drive and hook!"

For Cary, one of his treasured memories was a father-and-son trip to Lake of the Woods after his high school graduation, where the two caught giant walleye together. Cary also came to believe that he and his birthday brought his dad good luck. On one memorable hunt, Tom tagged a magnificent 6-by-6 bull elk, which now hangs proudly in Tom and Diane's home.

Tom's passions extended well beyond his family and his work. He was an avid trap shooter and competed both individually and on teams with his father and brothers across many states. His skill earned him some memorable prizes, including a beautiful shotgun and nearly a car in Las Vegas.

Tom also developed a deep love for bow hunting. He traveled throughout the country attending bow-hunting jamborees, competing alongside other bow hunters and making friendships and memories along the way.

Some of his greatest adventures came with close friends Dave Amundson and Mark Stoker. Together, they hunted deer, elk, pigs, and buffalo and shared the kind of stories and experiences that last a lifetime.

Tom loved sharing his passion for hunting and the outdoors with others. He set up targets in his field and even established a bow shop in his basement, where he helped friends and fellow hunters repair broken bows and arrows. He was always willing to lend a hand, share his knowledge, or simply spend time talking with someone who shared his love of the outdoors.

Tom lived a life defined by commitment—to his family, his community, his work, and the many people fortunate enough to call him a friend. He worked hard, played hard, loved deeply, and left his mark on the people and communities around him.

For 63 years, Diane was the love of his life. Together they built a family, a business, a home, and a lifetime of memories. For their children, Tom was the dad in the stands, the hunting partner, the coach, the storyteller, and the steady presence they could always count on.

His legacy lives on in Diane, Todd, Kristin, Cary, his family, his friends, the business he helped build, and the eastern Colorado communities he spent his life serving.

And perhaps most fittingly, it lives on in the stories—of blizzards and sunshine, ski trips to Aspen, hunting adventures, giant fish and big game, loader work and hay fields, basketball games and family trips, handshakes and jokes.

Tom never seemed to know how to do anything halfway. He worked hard. He loved hard. And he lived fully.

So the next time you pass by Tom and Diane's home, give Diane those two familiar honks. Let her know you're thinking of Tommy, and help keep his spirit—and that unmistakable greeting—alive.

He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Tom is survived by his wife Diane, his children Todd (Audra) Schlosser of Denver, CO, Kristin (Brett) Petersen of McKinney, TX, and Cary (Heather) Schlosser of Burlington, CO, and his brother Ric (Jenny) Schlosser of Goodland, KS, and his 4 grandchildren: MacKenzie, Heath, Briar, and Colton, and 1 great-granddaughter – Parker.

He was preceded in death by his parents George & Crystal, his two brothers Bill and Gary Schlosser.

Memorial contributions may be made out to the Thomas D. Schlosser Memorial Fund to go toward Local FFA and 4-H Chapters, and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N Main Ave, Goodland, KS 67735, or to Eastern Colorado Bank, 2121 Rose Ave, Burlington, CO 80807.