Tom Heisler, Jr. chose Friday, May 13, 2022, to depart on his heavenly journey.

 

He was born to Tom and Margaret (Schwartz) Heisler on September 3, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan. He attended parochial grade schools and then Great Falls Central Catholic High School, graduating in 1961. Tom being a big burly guy, with a heart as big as himself, received a scholarship to Western Montana College (now UM-Western) in Dillon for football, following high school.

 

After leaving college, he served in the U.S. Army and worked for numerous construction jobs around Montana. In 1965, he met his better half, Mary Jane Kohut. They soon began a loving marriage and together raised two sons and a daughter. A genuinely self-made man who was very proud of his life’s accomplishments, Tom’s tireless work ethic leaves a legacy that will remain forever.

 

In 1970, a few family eyebrows were raised when Tom and Mary Jane purchased the It’ll Do Tavern, in the Westgate Shopping Center. Tom’s dad said, “I don’t know if he can handle it on the other side of the plank; whether he can handle the business side of things.” Tom acknowledges, “I did spend a lot of time on this side (customer side) of the bar”, but over the years, he proved to be quite the businessman. Tom’s other interests included the Playground, Bingo Bonanza, and Great-West Storage. He had also owned the Real Estate at Big John’s Casino, Classic 50’s Casino, The Pit Stop Tavern, and Black Eagle Brewery until recent years after his kids followed in his footsteps and started to run businesses.

 

He was involved in the Cascade County Tavern Association, and the Montana Tavern Association serving as President of both organizations. He was involved in legislation that improved the daily working of the Tavern Industry. Governor, Brian Schweitzer, appointed Tom to the Montana Worker’s Compensation Board, which he served on for nine years, and was very proud of his position.

 

Tom’s greatest passion in life was his collection of Chevy cars and vintage memorabilia, which would draw the attention of any collector. He and Mary Jane attended Barrett Jackson for 30 consecutive years, the largest antique car auction in the world. While attending the auctions, his love of Arizona grew, and he purchased a 2nd home there. He also enjoyed all sports, especially his University of Montana Grizzlies, in which he went on many trips around the country with his Grizzly buddies to watch them play. Tom always had his eyes on the numbers, whether it was his number matching Chevys, the inventory count in the beer cooler, balancing the tills, or the over/under and point spread on a football game- he was always on top of it.

 

Tom played an active role in the rebuilding of Great Falls Central Catholic High School and has continued his support of the school, where his name is on the Principal’s Office, as he claims he spent most of his time there while attending school. He recently started “The Heisler Family Scholarship Fund” with a generous donation to help future students to attend Great Falls Central for years to come and a fund for the Speech and Debate team.

 

Big Tom was a very generous man supporting numerous community and state organizations. He had many people ask for help and advice on future endeavors, projects, and business aspects, and would rarely say no to helping or guiding anyone. He was a man of few words, even fewer pictures, but was a

truly fun and humorous guy to be around. There were lots of priceless times spent with his many friends that he held dear to his heart.

 

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane (Kohut) Heisler; sons, Tom Heisler III, and Bill (Kelsi) Heisler; daughter, Christa (Aaron) Liscum, all of Great Falls; his sister, Kay (Ben) Van der Steen of Anaheim, CA; sister-in-law, Melodie Heisler of Great Falls; brother-in-law, John D (Jean) Kohut (Eden); sister-in-law Carolyn (Charlie) Hartman of Pocatello, ID; grandkids, Raylee Maddox and Dayton Liscum, both of Great Falls; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding Tom in death were his parents; grandparents; brothers, Jim, Mike, and Bob; and nephews, along with many in-laws.

 

The Heisler Family suggests in lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Heisler Family Scholarship Endowment. If you’d like to support the endowment, contact Ross at [email protected] or 406-216-3344, or Judy Held of the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana, at

[email protected] or 406-315-1765.

 

Viewing is on Thursday, May 19, 2022, from 5:00-6:30 p.m., with a vigil service starting after, at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel (1410 13th Street S, Great Falls). The funeral will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., at Central Catholic High School (2800 18th Ave S, Great Falls). Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com