"Dear Eve and boys. I'm sorry I never met you. Tom and I had just reconnected in the last couple of weeks. His loss haunts me in unexpected ways. He was a supremely honest and brave man. I will miss him."
In loving memory of
Thomas P. Bick
August 25, 1965 - September 5, 2017
Thomas Peter Bick, age 52, of Middleton passed away on the 5th of September 2017. He was born on the 25th of August 1965 in Englewood, New Jersey. The son of Gunter Bick and Araceli Bick. He married Eve Ertl on the 3rd of June 1995 in Appleton, WI. Tom's father's work allowed him to spend his childhood in England, Germany, Holland, Turkey and Iran. Tom could speak both German and Dutch. When the family returned to the U.S. they lived in Burnsville, MN, where Tom graduated from high school.
Tom attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Business. Subsequently he earned an MBA at St. Cloud State University and a Masters of Science in Marketing Analysis and Research. At the time of his unexpected death, he was the Vice President of Marketing at Duluth Trading Company where he had earned a reputation for fostering cooperation between and within organizations to improve marketing initiatives. Previously, he had held positions with Deaths Door Distillery as Head of Marketing. Prior to that he was Senior Director of Marketing at Oscar Mayer-Kraft in Madison. There he earned many national and international awards. One of his fun responsibilities was managing the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobiles so Tom surprised his son on his 7th birthday by picking him up in a Weiner Mobile.
Earlier in his career, he served as VP of Marketing at Hill Holiday in Boston and a Director at Miller Brewing in Milwaukee. Among his numerous awards: Digital Marketing All-Star, Honored as one of the top digital marketers for the year (Media Post), Top Ten digital marketer of the year (Advertising Age), Cannes Silver Lion, the Silver Effie, The New York Festivals World Medal, Creative Media Awards Social Media Campaign of the Year, and the Clio award among others.
Tom knew his greatest accomplishment was his family. He met and fell in love with his wife Eve at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He would often say it felt as if they had grown up together. He delighted in preparing meals for Eve and his sons, Shane and Ben, whom he adored, as well as his dog, Gracie. He was also happy to feed anyone else who would walk through the door, and was renowned for his amazing culinary skill. He was so proud of his boys, and their strength and abilities in sports and in the world. He took delight in watching his boys grow and mature. He is survived by his wife Eve, his two sons, Shane and Ben, his mother and father, brother Robert, his niece Sarah and nephew Roman.
Funeral services will be held at Cress Funeral Home located at 6021 University Avenue, Madison, WI. A viewing and visitation will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. Attendees are encouraged to share their memories. Contributions in Tom's memory may be made to the American Heart Association at heart.org. Select "make a memorial donation" and enter the name Tom Bick.
Cress Center
6021 University Ave.
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 238-8406
Tributes
"Dear Eve, Shane, Ben, Tom's parents....my heart is so heavy for your loss. He will be missed. Please know you are not alone. "
"May Tom's ability to light up a room be felt now instead of seen and may his love and memories of your lives together provide you with comfort, strength and laughter. May God provide you Eve, Ben and Shane with peace, love and strength to guide your steps forward as you carry Tom in your hearts forever. Everyone who knows him will miss him and keep his memory alive and Eve, Ben and Shane we stand with you and love you and will do all we can to support you. With Love, Sally"
"Great host, great cook and just a really nice guy (so sharp and funny, too).. Eve, Shane and Ben, I hope happy memories will give you strength as you go through this tough time."
"Dear Eve, Shane and Ben, I loved Tom too. I always felt so special whenever I got the chance to sit with him and talk. How I wish we could do that again!! Tom was so interesting, smart and fun!! I know he loved you all very much and he will be missed forever. I love what your friend Pete wrote, "Shine on you crazy diamond" as it's so fitting for Tom."
"A mentor and a friend to me. And to so many others. We are all lucky to have had Tom in our lives."
"Tom and I developed a friendship in 1993 while working together. I quickly learned that Tom's quick wit and unbelievable sense of humor was something that could not be contained and you better just enjoy the ride. The laugh was so contagious and his personality bigger than life. We were room mates when Tom proposed to Eve and I proposed to Mary jo. He loved Eve and his boys so much and even when we spoke 2 weeks ago was talking about them all and his pride was so evident. We were there when Shane was born and they were there when our son Nick was born. Tom will have a special place in my heart forever and I love him like a brother. Eve, Shane, Ben- you had him in your lives far too short but I hope your memories will last forever. God Bless."
"What an amazing man, father, husband, marketer, friend, mentor, chef. I wish I could have known you for a longer period of time. Rest well my friend"
"After Tom and Eve moved from Hingham, we hadn't seen them in 5 years but visited them when we drove across country this summer. It was as if we had just walked across the street to their house yesterday. People ask me the best part of our cross country trip and I now tell them how glad I am we got to visit with Tom and Eve and the boys. I can still hear his laugh in my head every time I think of him. He will be missed."
"We had some laughs back in '83 during our senior year. I found this video of you from 2014 when you won the effy award at Oscar Meyer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLWUR8LTdQA RIP Tom!"
"Tom was not only a good friend, he was an incredibly creative and bold marketer. His ability to blend left and right brain skill sets was very unique and his passion for great work was exceptional. He cared. He cared a lot. About his work, his brands, his friends and, above all, his family. Tom, you were ripped from this world way too soon and I will miss you terribly. Shine on you crazy diamond. "