Thomas C. Lepsch

Thomas C. Lepsch of Kingsport, died Sunday, November 27, 2016. Tom was born on December 28, 1956 in St. Paul, MN to Emil George and Doris Mae (Terpstra) Lepsch. He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1979 and from Mayo Medical School in Rochester, MN in 1983. He specialized in radiology and worked for many years at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport.

Tom believed in getting the most mileage out of each of his days. He took great joy in planning adventures with his family from scuba diving in the Caribbean to cliff jumping at South Holston Lake. Each new adventure he embarked on left his companions, usually his children, wondering, "are we really going to pull this off?" And they did. Memories of these adventures, from his childhood days to his last, were woven into tall tales told at bedtime or around the kitchen table.

Tom had an insatiable quest to learn more and enjoy the good things in life. He educated himself and became a wealth of knowledge and talent. The man had probably tried more fishing lures for smallmouth bass than any other angler on the East Tennessee tailwaters. He hiked old trails and made new ones all across the Blue Ridge Mountains. He cared for the land he lived on and husbanded the wildlife faithfully. He never stopped picking out a new lick on his guitars, sharing and enjoying "his generation's" music with a new generation; he could really make you wonder if any good songs have been written since the 70s. He learned tennis from a box set of VCR tapes and enjoyed playing and watching the sport. He tackled the intricacies of instrument flying in his Bonanza airplane. This endeavor left plenty of harrowing memories for his passengers but it also left them with snapshots of the world at thousands of feet above the ground. One trip in and out of the Tri-Cities airport with him would leave one realizing that our world is so much larger, more beautiful, and more complex than can be seen from a single perspective. Both literally and figuratively, Tom never left his feet on the ground. He was filled with observations of his world, constantly wondering, musing and learning more.

Tom's family learned to love nature, appreciate beautiful music, make memories, and tackle new challenges from his example. His passing leaves a hole in the fabric of his family. He will be greatly missed.

Tom is survived by his children, Hannah Lepsch of Davis, CA, Abigail Lepsch of Memphis, TN, Sgt Daniel Lepsch of the United States Marine Corp in Hawaii, and Nathan Lepsch of Kingsport, TN; sisters, Mary (James) Nelson of WI, and Debra (John Souza) Lepsch of San Francisco, CA; and several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, December 10, 2016 from 12-1:30 pm at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, Kingsport. The funeral service will follow at 1:30 pm with Dr. Robert F. Russell officiating. Burial will follow at East Lawn Memorial Park.

Cast a line or hike a trail in Tom's memory. Gifts should be made in lieu of flowers to Doe River Gorge Ministries, Inc. or Foothills Land Conservancy.

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