Thomas Dean Herlocker

Thomas Dean Herlocker, 84, of Winfield, KS passed away Saturday, February 4, 2023 at home, surrounded by his family.

Thomas Dean Herlocker was born December 15, 1938 to John A. and Carolan Cox Herlocker. A lifelong resident of Winfield, Kansas, he graduated from Winfield High School, then attended Stanford University and the University of Kansas, receiving a B.A. in 1960 and a J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1963. While in law school he was on the Editorial Board of the K.U. Law Review and later, after graduation, served on the K.U. Law School Board of Governors. Tom and Judith Ann Gildehaus, were united in marriage in Webster Groves, Missouri in 1960 and together they raised three daughters.

Tom served as Cowley County counselor (1967-1971) and as municipal court judge (1971-2021). He won an Outstanding Service Award in 2007 from the Kansas Bar Association, and served as president of the Kansas Bar Foundation (2002-2003), along with serving on numerous committees. Tom was a co-founder of the Winfield Swim Club in 1964 and a coach for many years. He was a member and chair of the USD 465 Winfield Recreation Commission in the 60’s and 70’s, a long-time member of the Winfield Rotary Club, and he participated in numerous theater productions at Winfield Community Theater. Tom was one of the co-founders of the Cowley County Juvenile Center, Canterbury Village and Canterbury Heights. He was a Trustee of the H.L. Snyder Medical Foundation and president of the Foundation many years. In 1996 he was appointed as a trustee of William Newton Hospital and served as such until he retired in 2022. Tom was an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church and coordinator for the Episcopal Social Services representative payee program in Cowley County for many years. Service to the community was very important to Tom, and he volunteered legal services to a number of organizations over the years, including local churches, Habitat for Humanity, and other charities. After retiring from the practice of law at Herlocker, Roberts & Herlocker, he continued volunteering his services as a mediator for small claims cases in Cowley County District Court.

Tom was a swimmer, at one point holding the 100 meter backstroke record at K.U., and he loved astronomy, hunting and fishing, but more than that he was a devoted family man who will be dearly missed.  He is survived by his wife, Judith A. Herlocker, daughters Lucy L. Herlocker Freeman (Dan Freeman), Jennifer C. Herlocker, and Katherine A. Eastman; his brother J. Dennis Herlocker (Gretchen Herlocker); grandchildren Ian Otte, Abby Otte, Lexy Otte, Amy Elizabeth Freeman, Rebekah Freeman, Benjamin Freeman, Adam Sklamberg, Peter Sklamberg, John Eastman (Jacque), Brett Eastman (Ashley) and Kara Gale (Nathaniel) and 7 great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at 1:30 P.M. Monday, February 13, 2023 at Grace Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Tom’s memory to the William Newton Health Care Foundation, the Grace Episcopal Church Endowment fund or the H.L. Snyder Medical Foundation. Donations may be left in the care of the Shelley Family Funeral Home of Winfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvATsTyyshM&ab_channel=EpiscopalChurchesofGraceandTrinity

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Thomas Dean Herlocker, please visit our floral store.