Thomas Dean McQueen

August 5, 1939 ~ November 2, 2018

Tom McQueen passed away at his home on November 2, 2018 in Fallon, Nevada at the age of 79. He was born August 5th, 1939 in Lamar, Colorado, the son of Sid McQueen and Jean Welty.

Tom met his future wife Betty in Long Beach and they were married in 1956. They recently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary. He served in the U. S. Navy from 1958-1962.

Tom worked as a mechanic in Long Beach, Yerington, Tehachapi and then Bishop, California before retiring in 2000. Along the way, they raised three children. He and Betty moved to Fallon, Nevada in 2004.

Tom had a great sense of humor and was a real jokester, but his true passion was horseshoe pitching. He and 6 others started The Inyo Mono Horseshoe Pitching Club in November 1979.

He then went on a membership drive and the club ended with 107 members in 1980. Tom’s new pitching club was the 3rd Charter in California and hosted 3 California State Tournaments. The club closed in 2013 when interest diminished. After his move to Fallon, he was Secretary/Treasurer for the Nevada State Horseshoe Pitching Association from 2009 to 2014. Tom still competed and became the Nevada Men’s State Champion in 2007 and was the Nevada Elders Champion from 2009 to 2014. He tied for 3rd place in the 2013 World Tournament in St. George, Utah Elder’s Champion Class.

Tom also loved working with his hands and made 227 horseshoe boxes for friends and family. Many still use his boxes. He was quite proficient on a computer and loved his photography. At the

time of his death, he had created 55 photo albums with pictures and memories from his entire life. Another hobby of Tom’s was gardening and he would take extra produce to the Senior Center in Fallon.

Tom will be sorely missed by many. His family meant everything to him and he loved them dearly. He is survived by his wife Betty McQueen; sons Rod McQueen and Steve McQueen; daughter and son-in-law Sandra and Randy Johnson; 11 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, other family members and many in the horseshoe pitching community.

A Celebration of Life will be held on December 15th, 2018 in the Multi-Purpose Building of the Fallon Churchill Fairgrounds at 225 Sheckler Rd. (next to the horseshoe pits) in Fallon, Nevada at 11:00am.