Thomas Alan Chaput Obituary (1951 - 2019)

Thomas Alan Chaput passed away on September 16, 2019 surrounded by his family after succumbing to a long battle with cancer. A Rosary and Mass will be held at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church on Saturday, September 21, 2019 in Carlisle at 11:00am. A visitation will be held at 10:00am prior to the service. Tom will be laid to rest in the Carlisle Cemetery. Tom was born on June 8, 1951 to Aldemore and Dorothy Jaqueline (Shaw) Chaput. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Benson High School in 1969. Tom continued his education at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he earned a degree in electronic engineering in 1973. Tom married his wife, Benita (Rief) Chaput in West Point, Nebraska on October 5, 1974. They moved to Des Moines, Iowa in 1975 and then settled in Carlisle, Iowa where they raised two children, Steven Chaput and Christine (Chaput) Kernes. Tom enjoyed a thirty year career in the office furniture business. After many years of hard work and dedication, Tom turned to his first passion, photography. Tom and Benita created Wedding Lace Photography, where they met many wonderful people over a fifteen year span. Anyone who met Tom knew he always had a camera nearby; ready to capture memories for the ones he loved most. Tom also had a passion for woodworking. His creativity and skill could be seen in everything he made. Tom had a unique ability to make something from nothing. He was very handy. He could tinker with, and fix, virtually anything you could put in front of him. Tom loved to go camping with Benita, spending time with family, and the company of good friends. Most importantly Tom was an amazing husband, a loving father, and a great friend to those who had the pleasure of meeting him. Tom is survived by his wife Benita; his son. Steven of Redfield, IA; his daughter Christine (Joseph) Kernes of Altoona, IA; granddaughter Olivia Kernes; sisters Nancy (Rich)Bleach of Omaha, NE and Kathleen (Michael) Scribner of Castle Rock, CO; and brother James Chaput of Pawnee City, NE. He was preceded in death by his parents Al and Jackie (Shaw) Chaput, and his parents-in-law Casper and Bernadine (Grewe) Rief.