Thomas Michael Liston

Thomas Michael Liston passed away on March 22, 2016 in Stow, Ohio. He was 76. He was born in Kansas City, Mo.Tom was the first child of Katherine Ford Liston and Thomas Robert Liston. He attended Redemptorist Grade and High School. In 1962 he graduated from Rockhurst College with a BA in English. In 1963 Tom received his wings as a Navy pilot. He ended his service in 1967 as a Navy Lieutenant with 3,000 hours of flight time, much of it in Vietnam. In 1967 he began a career with Trans World Airlines, retiring as a Captain in1995.After retirement, Tom devoted himself to ecology and wildlife preservation, writing, listening to great music and nurturing friendships. He was a lifelong union liberal Democrat with a passion for all things political. He worked for many candidates while living in Kansas City and Ohio. In the Akron area he was a founding member of the Summit County Progressive Democrats, served as its first Vice President and organized his precinct in Stow, Ohio. His passion for birding was shared by his lifelong friend, Dan Fisher. They traveled far and wide to add coveted birds to their life lists. He volunteered with the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska, Minnesota and Ohio to gather data on breeding bird locations and migration patterns. Tom was an avid KU basketball and Kansas City Royals fan and a passionate golfer. In addition to his family, Tom's greatest treasure was his cabin on Minister Lake near the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness in Ely, MN. For over 30 years, with the help of family and friends, he nurtured the land and expanded the tiny cabin. He planted 100 red pines, sowed thousands of lupine seeds and built nearly 20 osprey nests. He found solitude and peace there and generously shared this space with family and friends.Tom was a gifted writer whose letters could often be seen in both the Kansas City Star and the Akron Beacon Journal. He was also published in the Boundary Waters Journal. Tom is survived by his former wife Joan Bartholome Liston and their four children, Peter (Brigid McGuire), Michael (Cathy), Monica Rutherford and Andrew; his wife, Barbara Medlock and two stepchildren, Kathryn and Alex Medlock; grandchildren Patrick, Ryan, Erin (and their mother Connie Grimes); Caitlin, Kelly, Maya; and Adam; siblings Sister Mary Kay, Terry, Dennis (Maureen), Martha (Jim White), Jeanne Barnes (Fred), Angela (Neil Murphy), Joseph (Vici); and 13 nieces and nephews.Visitation at 12 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 12:45 p.m. at Muehlebach Funeral Home, 6800 Troost Ave. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Retirement Fund of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, 6400 Minnesota Ave., St. Louis, MO.


SERVICES Visitation
Saturday, April 2, 2016 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Muehlebach Funeral Home 6800 Troost Avenue Kansas City, Missouri
Memorial Service
Saturday, April 2, 2016 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM
Muehlebach Funeral Home 6800 Troost Avenue Kansas City, Missouri