Tell City Native Thomas Deom, 56, Dies Feb. 6 in Corydon

Thomas "Tom" Deom, a lifelong Perry County resident noted for his warmth and local ties, died peacefully Feb. 6 at Indian Creek Healthcare Center in Corydon. He was 56.

Deom was born May 29, 1969, in Tell City and grew up north of Troy on a family farm. Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home in Tell City is handling arrangements and lists surviving siblings as Kathy Shireman (Mark) of Lanesville, Martha Sue "Susie" Fortwendel (Jerry) of Troy, Frederick "Fred" Deom of Tell City, and Carol Smith (John) of Melbourne, Florida. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Thelma Deom, and by siblings Regina Deom-Davis and William "Bill" Deom.

Visitation will be held at Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home, 920 10th St., Tell City. The funeral home lists visitation on Monday, Feb. 9, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Zoercher-Gillick's listing also states that a funeral service will be held Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 10:00 a.m. and at 11:00 a.m. Some other listings show a single 10:00 a.m. service; the funeral home is the primary source for the posted times. Burial will follow at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in Tell City.

Zoercher-Gillick's obituary emphasizes Deom's personality and community presence, describing him as a "special needs individual with an intellectual disability who brought joy, laughter, and warmth wherever he went." The funeral-home text recalls his participation in the Special Olympics and the medal he "proudly won... for the baseball throw," adding the anecdote, "He threw the ball so hard that you either caught it—or ended up with a serious bump or bruise." The obituary also notes, "Tom could expertly play the roles of Mr. Shy, Mr. Loving, Mr. Helper, or Mr. Grump with his famous 'No, No, No!' You never knew which Tom you would meet each day—sometimes you met all of them."

For residents of Perry County, Deom's passing marks the loss of a familiar local presence and a member of a family long rooted in the Tell City area. The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Special Olympics.

Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home is offering grief support and has invited the community to visit for services; its address is 920 10th St., Tell City. Readers seeking confirmation of service times or details on memorial contributions may contact the funeral home directly. The community will gather in the coming days to remember Deom at the visitation, funeral service, and burial at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery.