Thomas Casterline

Thomas Casterline passed away on January 28, 2026.

Where do I start? I guess I’ll start with the traditional details although Thom was far from being traditional.

Thom was born on January 5, 1946, in Battle Creek, MI to Erwin and Helen (Danke) Casterline and was one of 6 children. He graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in 1964. Thom was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965, was a Nuclear Weapons Maintenance Specialist and served until 1968. He then went on to earn an associate’s degree from Kellogg Community College and then transferred to Western Michigan University. He majored in Geology but due to some major life events, he left school and launched himself out into the world. He didn’t get that degree, but in that period, met a couple of dear, lifelong friends that proved to be much more valuable to him. Thom was 6’5”, 235 lbs, fearless and adventurous. He backpacked and hitchhiked across the country, stayed for a bit with family in Vermont and then ventured out West and Canada where he lived in various cities and towns. He found many different jobs picking apples, road crew laborer, painting etc, and one job that took him through Moab, UT. He was so awestruck by the landscape he vowed to return. The same thing happened when he visited and stayed with friends in Yosemite and Glacier National Parks and backpacked up through the Canadian Rockies. He returned again and again to these places and later shared them with as many people as possible. He travelled to the Northwest and got a job supervising a crew building a bike/walking path in Eugene, Oregon. He enjoyed the job and the area when he got word his dad was sick. He then ventured home, famously hopping a box car part of the way back to Michigan. We used to joke that he did his retirement first and then went to work. Back in Michigan, Thom decided to get a job and stay awhile and was hired by the Post Office as a mailman in 1979 and had a 30-year career with the Postal Service that included his military service. It was the perfect job for an outdoorsman and hiker.

In 1988, Thom met me, Lou Ann, through a mutual cousin/friend and, after just happening to bump into me on the bike path, we began dating. We had crossed paths before due to family connections but had never met. My sister, seeing us in a store one day, said “you guys are like 2 peas in a pod” an apt description. We began a lifetime of shared interests and travel across the United States and Canada from the Gaspe Peninsula down the coast to Key West, the Midwest, Great Lakes and of course our favorite place, the Western States. There were annual visits to his sister's restaurant/hotel in Stowe, VT for Thanksgiving dinner and a family get together. We visited National Parks, natural wonders and the back of beyond camping, backpacking, hiking, cross country skiing and rockhounding. At Grand Canyon National Park, we did the 17 mile hike to the bottom and back in one day. We liked it so much, we went back a few years later and did it again.  Thom more than once underestimated the time it took for a hike, and one time had us hiking back near a herd of buffalo trying to avoid the grunting behemoths in the dark. He always took things a little further than most and I learned to carry a flashlight and extra food. “Further” that was a saying from Ken Kesey, another one of his favorite authors.

Thom had a great singing voice and a large repertoire of songs. Throughout his life he serenaded me, coworkers, friends, family and strangers. He loved to wax philosophic with friends and was well read and versed in a variety of subjects. His spirituality was akin to the Buddhist way of thinking and moving through life. He loved animals both wild and domestic and we had dogs as pets throughout our life together. Thom was an excellent cook, loved musicians Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, many authors - James Harrison, Edward Abbey, Farley Mowat, the list goes on and on for both. He had a great sense of humor, a sharp wit and loved to tell stories of his and our adventures.

We bought land in Montana and when Thom retired in 2006, we moved and built our dream home in the mountains. We continued to travel throughout the West and made a life of 3 seasons in Montana and winters in Mexico and then in Southeast Utah.

In 2015, Thom suffered a health setback and was sidelined for a couple of years. Despite having limited mobility in his legs, he was able to walk again with 2 walking sticks or canes and continued to hike. Thom was a great athlete excelling in baseball, basketball, football, etc. and was very competitive. This spirit helped him carry on and enjoy what he loved. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a favorite show he discovered during this time, he loved Ancient Aliens. It took his mind off his limitations and awed him with the mysteries of our planet and beyond.

Thom always said he was “just passing through”.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Don (Mary) and Will, his nephew Stephen, brother-in-law George, his niece and “hero” Kasha and sister Deb Rigby and nephew Bobby Casterline.

Thom is survived by his wife Lou Ann, brother Bill, sister Susan Ciotti, many nieces and nephews, good friends Sonny and Jon and dog Tara.

Thoms lifelong mantra when asked “can I get you anything else?”, was always “Peace and Happiness throughout the Land”.  We can only hope that his constant request continues to reverberate throughout the world - pass it on. A get together to reminisce and share memories of Thom will be held later this year.

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