Thomas Robert Ahern, age 85, of St. Anne Extended Healthcare, died Friday, Jan. 31, in the emergency room of Community Memorial Hospital, Winona.

He was born in Albert Lea on July 3, 1917, to Tehobald J. and Cathryn (Dwyer) Ahern.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from Mankato State University. On April 18, 1944, he married Kathleen A. Berendt in Mankato.

Thomas served in the U.S. Army during World War II in Company D of the 139 Infantry Division. He fought in the Aleutian Campaign and also in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre.

He first worked in retail sales with J.C. Penney, Tempo and Gamble Skogmo stores. From 1973 to 1987 he was the sales and marketing instructor at Albert Lea Vocational Technical Institute.

Prior to moving to Winona in 1998 he had resided in Ellendale and Beaver Lake, and Mission, Texas.

Tom is a member and Past Grand Knight of Council #2768, Knights of Columbus, Albert Lea, and its Fourth Degree General Assembly, and past president of the Waseca Chamber of Commerce. He has also been recognized by the Albert Lea Chapter of Delta Epsilon Chi of the Distributive Education Clubs of America, and by the Freeborn County Association for Retarded Citizens. He is a member of the American Legion and VFW Posts of Albert .

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen of St. Anne Extended Healthcare; sons: Patrick (friend, Donna) Ahern of Golden, Colo., and Michael Ahern of Memphis, Tenn., and his children, Sarah, Thomas and Timothy; daughters: Bridget (Brian) Ender of Winona, and Collen (Jerry) Sorenson of Las Vegas, Nev., and her children, T. J. McMahon and Erin Sorenson; a sister-in-law, Patti Berendt of St. Paul; and nieces and nephews.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.

Funeral services for Tom will be on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m. at St. Anne Extended Healthcare; with the Rev. Joseph Keefe of St. Mary’s Catholic Church officiating. Interment will be at St. Theodore’s Catholic Cemetery, Albert Lea, in the spring.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Arrangements by the Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Winona.