A long time ago in a state (Washington) far, far away, Thomas Gilbert Dueker II was born to Thomas and Mary Clair Dueker on August 14, 1974. Tragically, his story was brought to an end on October 23, 2025 after only a short, 51 years.

Tom. Thomas. Dad. Mathman. Tommy.  Little Tom. Boss. Husband. Brother. Godfather.  Tickle-monster or Uncle.  Whatever you called him, he always responded with kindness. He had a selfless knack for making everyone feel loved and included.  His radiant smile lit up a room and he was just so funny.

Tom graduated from Belleville West High School in 1992, where he captained the Cross-country team. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois in 2020.  He loved history and politics.  He was a voracious reader and an avid fan of the Cardinals.

Tom's quick mind and love of solving problems served friends, family and colleagues well and made him uniquely suited to his many professional positions. He was a "fixer" for the restaurant industry for many years before achieving his goal of being his own boss when he purchased the Jimmy John's store in Taylorville, Il.

Tom was a creative engineer.  He could fix most anything and he willingly taught/shared his skills with others.  He built beautifully intricate virtual worlds while playing online games with family and friends and served as an Army engineer with a training deployment to the Ukraine as a member of the Illinois National Guard.

Tom was a connector.  He always introduced people to each other and included everyone.  He was the sibling who kept in touch with our cousins and distant relatives.  He used his commute time to catch up with family and friends and would always end those conversations with joy in his voice when he said that he was HOME and going to get off the phone to see Amy, Jack and Bella.
Tom was a family man.  His devotion to Amy, Bella and Jack was clear in everything he did.  He cooked special meals, shared his favorite books, became "Mathman" at homework time, showed up at 18 different spots along the cross-country race trail, jointly constructed countless lego sets, hosted parties with awesome food, joked through long car rides, was a master "Goofy Fish" finder, delivered delicious hot chocolates and played lots of games (although he never would trade wood for sheep). Tom and Amy hosted the annual Dueker Cousin Camp where Tom planned, presided over and competed in the fabulous Dueker Olympics.  Every year Tom proposed three rules for the Olympics.  Rule 1:  "I make the rules."  Rule 2: "Shush" and Rule 3:  "See rule 1". Unfortunately for Tom, all of the participants were related to him and they weren't good at following the rules either. Tom showed his love by helping others, and his love encompassed his family, friends, pets (even the cats!) and anyone he met.

Tom was an incredibly hard worker. At any gathering, whether he was hosting or attending, you would find Tom doing whatever needed to be done. He cooked, cleaned, raked, hauled chairs, inflated and deflated bouncy houses, cut down limbs with a chainsaw on a stick, drove people hither and yon and could always be counted on to help anyone who needed it.  No one at the JJ store worked harder than Tom, and that was true everywhere he ever worked.

Tom is survived by his wife, Amy Beth Dueker nee Hall, and children, Isabella Clair and Jackson Thomas. Parents, Thomas Gilbert Dueker and Mary Clair Dueker nee Bowman, and his six siblings; Eli, Gwenden, Joe, Mike, Johannah & David, who will miss his gentle spirit. Tom's loving in-laws; Kyle, Stephanie, Tina, Barb, Eric, Ilana, Amanda, Brian & Larry were a gift he treasured. His numerous, beloved nieces and nephews; Neil, Samie, Gracie, Brand, Hannah, Rosie, Bowman, Stratton, Jaxon, Chloe, Carter, Jamus, Lamar and Elizabeth enjoyed their moments with Uncle Tom. They describe him as funny, kind, sarcastic, generous, friendly, chill, nice, compassionate, genuine, and thoughtful.  He is remembered fondly by his many Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.

Tom was preceded in death by his first nephew, Haakon, Father-in-law, Glen, brother-in-law, Kess and his grandparents.

Visitation will be on Saturday, November 1st, 4-6 pm, and Sunday, November 2nd 1-2 pm with a service beginning at 2 pm. at the Hilligoss Shrader Funeral Home, 705 South Main Street, Tuscola, IL 61953.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a fund for Bella and Jack's education at the following link https://gofund.me/1c96ba487

Online condolences may be shared via hilligossshraderfh.com