Thomas Leo Lenz

Thomas Leo Lenz, 62, of Lakeside, Arizona passed away on November 26^th at home with his wife by his side.  He had suffered greatly over the past year and was so ready to go be with Our Lord.

Thomas was born in Denver, Colorado on April 19, 1958 to Fred Eugene Lenz and Mary Josephine Lenz.  At age 5 his family moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he grew up.  He graduated from Springfield High School in 1977.  As a young man, he worked with his brother John as an iron worker.  He worked on many power plants in different areas across the country. 

He moved to the White Mountains of Arizona in 1983 and went to work at the Power Plant in Springerville.  He later went to work at Navopache Electric Cooperative as a Meter Reader.  He obtained an associate degree in Electronics and moved into the Telecommunications Department and worked on radios, R.T.U.S and did the tower work on various mountain tops.

Thomas married Cheryl Ann Lenz on November 5, 1994.  They shared a deep love for each other, and they created many lasting memories camping, fishing, and hunting.  They especially loved their road trips together discovering new places along the way.  They also loved walking in the forest with their labs, Lucy and Becca.  The three of us will miss you dearly, Tommy.  He was loved by many friends and there were a few that were very special to him.  He looked forward to Fish Camp at the Black River every year with Joe and Ed and the rest of the guys.  Kenny and his dog shared many forest hikes with us, and he went on many hunting trips with Steve and John.  He will be missed by all of them.

He is survived by his wife of 26 years Cheryl Ann, who will love him forever; 3 stepsons, Vincent Ponwith, David (Melissa) Ponwith, Nickolas (Essie) Ponwith; 5 step-grandchildren, Christian, Carter, Anastasia, Naomi and Luanna.  He is also survived by and was very close to his brother, Fred Lenz and his wife Lori of Springfield, Illinois.  He shared a special bond with their children, his niece Maxine Daniels (Brian) & his nephew, Tucker Lenz (Mandi). He will be missed by them and their children, Jace, Jade, Ty and John.   He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Mary Lenz and his brother, John Lenz.

A memorial celebration of Tom’s life will be held at a later date perhaps in the spring.