In Memory of Tom Baszler

On Saturday April 18th beloved Huron Coach and Teacher Tom Baszler suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Coach 'Basz' had a huge impact teaching and coaching thousands of students over the years. He helped guide young people and motivated them to find success. 

More importantly Tom Baszler was a loving husband to Rita and the perfect dad to his beautiful daughters Courtney and Cassidy.  He was also a devoted son, brother, uncle, co-worker, and friend.

Losing someone who has had such an impact on so many lives is truly heartbreaking. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Baszler Family during this time. 

As a community we ask that you join us in supporting the Baszler family. We cannot fill the void, but we can help with the unexpected costs that arise during this heartbreaking time for the family.

An account has been established at Huron Area Education Federal Credit Union for the Baszler Family. If you are able, you are welcome to give online or stop by the credit union in Huron. The fund is listed as the 'Baszler Family Memorial Fund'.

These funds will go directly to assist the Baszler family and to support the family moving forward. 

Below is Tom Baszler's Obituary. On behalf of Rita, Courtney and Cassidy, thank you so much for your prayers and support. Huron is an incredible place because everyone comes together when they are needed.

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Thomas R. Baszler was born November 14, 1967, to James and Lorna (Westall) Baszler at Huron. He lived in Redfield, where he grew up and attended school. Tom participated in baseball, football, wrestling and track, nearly every sport that was offered at Redfield. After age 7, he shared time between De Smet, with his father and stepmom and at Redfied with his mom.  He graduated from Redfield High School in 1986.

Tom continued his education at Southwest Minnesota State University at Marshall, Minnesota, majoring in education. He also participated in baseball and wrestling while at SMSU. He transferred to Northern State University as a junior and received his bachelor’s degree in 1990. He would later return to NSU to earn his master’s degree.

The summer of 1993, Tom’s friend, Lori (Lodmel) Eggleston set him up on a blind date with her youngest sister, Rita Lodmel. Four months later, Tom asked Rita to marry him, and seven months from then, they were married on July 22, 1994, at St. Martin’s Catholic Church at Huron.

Tom started his teaching career in 1994 at the Brookings School District. In 1996, Tom was hired by the Huron School District. Tom started at Pride High and worked with the late Wayne Fenner for 11 years before transferring to the Math department at HHS.  Several years ago, he chose to move to his first love, the Social Studies Department.  Tom’s first coaching job in Huron was as an assistant track coach under Mark Wendelgass, whom Tom has always been grateful. He was currently the head track coach. Tom was a high school wrestling coach in South Dakota for 25 years; 20 of them for the Huron Tigers Wrestling Team. He had volunteered, as a wrestling coach in Redfield, and was head wrestling coach in De Smet for 3 years. He volunteered as a tiger wrestling coach for a year before being hired to work alongside his great friend, Dan McCarty, for 19 more years. Tom also loved to coach football, but gave that up to be able to watch his own daughter compete in sports during her high school years. He said it was the best decision he had ever made.

Tom loved coaching but always made it very clear that he was “a teacher first and a coach second.” He wanted to connect with his students and we believe he did. He remembered and talked about many of his students, years after they had left. He remained connected with many of his former students on Facebook. He loved to see and talk with his former students in the grocery store with their spouse and children. He would express almost daily to his family how proud he was of his former students. He loved working with the challenging students equally as much as the gifted students.

Tom and Rita, together, made such a great team. They were blessed with two daughters. Their first daughter, Courtney, would fall asleep in Tom’s arms every night; and then every morning they would have their daddy/daughter time together before mom, Rita, would wake up. Their second daughter, Cassidy, was born with Down Syndrome.  This made their family stronger together.  Tom and Cassidy loved having dad/daughter time as well.  They loved to do dad/daughter dances, go rummaging, and hang out. Tom was the “Best Daddy” to his little girls. Tom was the rock of his family. If he wasn’t teaching or coaching, he was home with his family. He was an amazing cook. He used to say that when he was young and wrestling, he would think of all the things he would cook if he wasn’t cutting weight. Rita has the feeling that “wrestlers make the best husbands because of all the discipline, hard work, honor, and closeness they develop when they are on the mat.” Tom certainly was the best husband and father anyone could imagine.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents; his father, James Baszler; his mother, Lorna (Westall) Baszler; Rita’s brother, Randy Lodmel, and a miscarried child named he named Reagan.

Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife, Rita; their two daughters, Courtney Baszler and Cassidy Baszler of Huron; his step-mother, Julie Baszler of De Smet; and his siblings, Sheree and Dana Coats of Rapid City, James “Skip” and Maggie Baszler of Sioux Falls, Jason and Angie Baszler of St. Cloud, MN and Jared and Ashley Baszler of Brookings. Tom is also survived by Rita’s parents, Flip and Linda Lodmel of Huron; Rita’s siblings, Everett and Debbie Lodmel of Huron, Lori and Jamie Eggleston of Wessington, and Melissa Heinen of Huron. He is survived by three aunts and uncles; their nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews., Everett and Debbie Lodmel of Huron, Lori and Jamie Eggleston of Wessington, and Melissa Heinen of Huron. He is survived by three aunts and uncles; their nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.