Thomas (Tom) Cappel, age 81 of Atlantic, died on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at Heritage House in Atlantic. Tom was born March 5, 1943 in Independence, Iowa, the son of Ivan and Lavonne (Glazier) Cappel. In 1944, they moved to Atlantic, and it was here that Tom was raised and where he and his wife Janet chose to raise their family. Tom attended Atlantic High School and graduated from Kemper Military School in Booneville, MO. After attending Simpson College, he joined his father at Cappel’s Implement, which he later helped transition to Cappel’s Ace Hardware.
Tom was united in marriage to Janet Orstad on November 6, 1966 at the Grant Methodist Church. They loved to ballroom and square dance the night away and enjoyed Night Owl trips. Tom and Janet were proud parents of 6 children, 1 girl & 5 boys. While family life kept Tom very busy, he truly enjoyed working at Cappel’s Ace Hardware. The lifelong friendships developed from serving customers and the broader community were something that Tom held so dear to his heart. He cherished his employees & his customers. Though his role at the store shifted in his later years, his love for visiting with everyone that came in remained the bright spot in his day. In his younger years he enjoyed fishing trips to Canada, snowmobiling, three wheeling in the river and skiing trips with family and friends. He had a passion for golf and enjoyed trips with his golfing buddies. Tom & Janet also looked forward to Friday night two ball with friends. He was a proud father and grandfather and enjoyed all their activities throughout the years. He was also an avid Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas City Chiefs fan.
Tom enjoyed helping and being a part of the community. He was a member of the Methodist Church, The Rotary, The Atlantic Golf & Country Club and Jaycees, among others.
Tom is survived by his wife Janet, daughter Kelly (John), sons Tom II (Wendy), Tim, Trent (Crystal), Troy (Megan) and Todd; his grandchildren, Colton, Aaron, ReAnn, Trey, Tenley, Tate, Chase and Sloane; his sister Carol (Fred) Emmert, sister-in-law Diane (Duane) Petty and many nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ivan & Lavonne Cappel, brother and sister-in-law Dick & Diane Cappel as well as his in-laws Russell and Maxine Orstad and brother-in-law Dean Orstad.
Funeral services will be held at 11 am, Friday, January 3, 2025, at the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic, IA with Rev. Dan Wiebesick officiating and burial following at the Atlantic Cemetery in Atlantic, IA. Visitation with the family present will be on Thursday, January 2, 2025, from 5 pm till 7 pm at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic.
Memorials in Liu of flowers can be made to either the Atlantic Fire Department or to First United Methodist Church and can be left or mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home at PO Box 523 – Atlantic, IA in care of the Cappel family. The Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic is caring for the Cappel family at this time and condolences can be sent at: schmidtfamilyfh.com
