Gerald Tobin

The soul of Gerald W. Tobin, after a lifetime of being completely spoiled by the love, mercy and graces of Jesus Christ, departed his body around noon on Tuesday May 16, 2023.  He is survived by Adriana I. (Oomens) Tobin, his wife of 60 years, daughter Jennifer S. Tobin, Phoenix AZ, son Jeffrey (Jacqueline) Tobin, Los Gatos CA and special friends Laura and Paul Schaffner, Fountain City WI; grandchildren Cee Jay Schaffner, Savannah Hasty, Brennan Schaffner, Scotia Tobin and Emerald Tobin; sisters Kathryn (Donald) Luedtke, Edgerton WI and Magdalen (Vern) Bjorkquist, LaCrosse WI.  He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Joseph, brother-in-law Donald Luedtke, son Timothy, and daughter Teresa (Don) Hasty, Panama City FL.

He was born to Raymond J. and Agnes (Rudnitzski) Tobin in Madison WI; but spent his entire youth as Jerry (Toby) Tobin in Janesville, WI.  He attended grades 1-3 at the Hugunin School; St. Patrick’s School grades 4-9; and graduated from the Janesville Senior High School in 1959.

He was a member of the Rock River Racing Pigeon Club from 1954 to 1958 and experienced a fair amount of success, thanks to his mentor Robert Wolfe.  He was a member of the Wisconsin National Guard from December 1958 until March 1965.

He was employed at the Chevrolet Assembly Plant from November 1959 until entering Stout State University in the fall of 1960 as an Industrial Education major.  He alternated between college and employment at Fairbanks & Morse in Beloit WI, Chrysler in Belvidere IL and the Holiday Station Store in Menomonie WI.  On June 1, 1963, he married the love of his life, Adriana I. (Oomens) Tobin from Glenview IL at St. Isaac Jogues in Niles IL.  He received a BS in Industrial Education and a MS in Vocational Education from Stout State University in 1965.

He was employed for 1 year (65-66) at the Black Hawk Technical School in Beloit WI.  In 1966 he began a 34 year teaching career at Winona State University, Winona MN. He received an Ed.D., from Utah State University in 1972. He spent 22 years teaching in the Industrial Education Department and an additional 12 years in the Physics Department until retiring in December 1998.

Jerry and Adriana lived on a hobby farm near Fountain City WI from 1968 to 1998.  During that time they reared 4 children (2 adopted), designed and constructed both an underground house and an airplane. He was a member of St. Mary’s Parish, Lions Club, was Clerk of the Town of Cross, and served on the Board of Directors for St. Bonaventure Indian Mission & School at Thoreau, NM.  He became a resident of Texas, January 1, 1999.

He earned his private pilots license at Winona MN in 1985. In 1994 he built a steel house and hangar on the Arrowhead airstrip (79TE) near Sandia, TX and resided there from 1999 to 2006.  He moved to Uvalde TX, sold the airplane and began racing Homing Pigeons again.  He was a member of the Bandera and Woodlawn Racing Pigeon Clubs, Sacred Heart Church, the Knights of Columbus, and served on the Board of Directors for St. Henry de Osso.

Services will consist of a wake and rosary at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary on Thursday, May 18, 2023, starting at 5 p.m. and rosary at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held Friday, May 19, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde.  Another wake, rosary and Mass will take place in Fountain City WI followed by interment in the St. Mary’s Church Cemetery.