Thomas Edward Leigland

Society lost a very special person when Thomas Edward Leigland passed on December 11, 2021. Tom was born in Great Falls, MT on March 30, 1950, to Henry and Catherine Leigland. His parents passed when he was very young, and Tom was taken care of very lovingly by Doc and Katherine Wright. He had one sibling, a younger brother, Eric who preceded him in death. Tom was married in Colorado to a young lady named Janet. They later divorced. He then found a new love in Terry Jean Deardorff in South Dakota. She also preceded him in death. He is survived by two stepdaughters, Heather Jean Deardorff of Florida and Tasha Lynn Deardorff of South Dakota; stepgrandchildren, Samantha Zarbano, Brandon Zarbano, Kadyn Cain, Nathanyl Slider, and Zaylie Slider all in South Dakota; and too many friends to name. He also had a dog he adored named Orbit. Tom attended Great Falls Public Schools and went on to obtain an Associates Degree in Electronics from a college in Colorado. From there he went on to work in the oil and gas industry, drilling, and later consulting. He owned and operated Parker Dome Oil Field in South Dakota. He also owned and operated a mica and feldspar mine in South Dakota. Before returning to Great Falls, he worked for a company that cleaned up the flue dust in the Smelter at Anaconda. When he came back to Great Falls, he worked for Archie Johnson Construction as a mechanic and driller. From there he went on to design and build support equipment for Waterjet Extreme Tech, Waterjet Cutting Tech, and finally for Gusto Distributing. Tom was a very respected and loved person. As well as being a master fabricator and master mechanic, he was a master bullshitter. His stories entertained all that took the time to listen. When his crows’ feet on his eyes stretched back and a twinkle appeared in his eyes the real truth would be revealed. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, and a wealth of wisdom and knowledge is lost, except for to the many that worked alongside him. Rest in peace. Your journey is over.You can now entertain God and St. Peter with your gift of gab and probably show them how to get more snow and rain out of the clouds. You’ve earned your wings.