Thomas Wallgren

Dr. Thomas George Wallgren was born June 28, 1945, in Granite City, Illinois, the son of Edward C. Wallgren and Sophia R. Wallgren. The family lived in St. Francois County, Missouri, where Tom graduated from Esther High School and Flat River Junior College. They were members of Trinity Lutheran Church, where Tom was the organist for four years. He attended Southeast Missouri State College and received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics. Originally planning on a career with NASA, he discovered he enjoyed teaching mathematics more than physics. He continued his education at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. in mathematics. At Mizzou, he met Cheryl Keller. They were engaged in 1972 and married in 1973. Tom and Cheryl both had a passion for teaching. After each of them taught at several colleges and universities, they came to Southeast Missouri State in 1981. Tom joined the Computer Science Department and, after several decades, transferred to the Mathematics Department. In 1989, they brought home Charles Jacob Wallgren from the hospital, two days old, truly a blessing. In December 2002, Cheryl went to be with the Lord after a long battle with ovarian cancer. In 2011, Tom took retirement from Southeast Missouri State and moved on to help teach eighth grade algebra and be a pre-k/kindergarten aid at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape. In his early retirement years, Tom had a passion for running, studying Civil War and World War II history, practicing novel mathematic calculations, and enjoying musical compositions of J.S. Bach. After struggling with health difficulties since 2018, Thomas passed away peacefully in his sleep, aged 80, on November 29th, 2025. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Sophia (Reezoff) Wallgren, infant nephew Nicholas Dordoni, and his beloved wife Cheryl (Keller) Wallgren. He is survived by his son, Charles Wallgren and wife Brandi (Strong), grandchildren Oliver Thomas and Liliana Rae, and his brother Edward Wallgren, Jr. Additional survivors include John and Ethel (Houlle) Wilkerson, sister-in-law Iris (Keller) Dordoni, brother- and sister-in-law Timothy and Vilma (Yumul) Keller, and nephews Benjamin, Joseph, and Daniel Dordoni and Kevin Keller. Friends may call 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 4, 2025 at Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau. Funeral Service will be at 10:30 am Friday, December 5, 2025 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau with the Rev. Paul Short officiating. Burial will be at Zion Lutheran Cemetery - Gordonville in Gordonville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Lutheran World Relief fund. Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com. Ford & Sons Funeral Home - Mt. Auburn is in charge of arrangements.

Tributes

Thomas Wallgren

June 28, 1945 - November 29, 2025