Thomas E. Begando passed away on Friday, June 3, 2022, surrounded by family.
Tom was born in Roseland Kansas on May 22, 1942. He graduated from Cherokee County Community High School in 1960 and later attended Pittsburg Kansas University for two years and received a diploma in Refrigeration.
Tom enlisted in the US Army Reserve on March 7, 1964, and was honorable discharged as a Specialist E-4 on December 17, 1969. While enlisted, Tom worked as an Appliance Technician and later joined Westco and worked there until 1983.
Tom married Joyce (Reyburn) Harter on July 4, 1976, in Columbus, Kansas and they later opened their own appliance store in 1983 (Tom’s Maytag Appliance Center). In 1995, Tom and Joyce opened Sweet Sue’s Candy Store and Restaurant in Columbus, Kansas. They both worked there until they retired in 2003.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents: Antonio (Tony) J. Begando and Ruth E. Lanning; two brothers Richard Begando and Antone Begando; two sisters; Norma Begando DePratt and Janice Begando Blancett Houk; his sister-in-law Margaret (Ross) Begando; his brothers-in-law: John Paradee, Kenneth Anderson, and William Depratt; Niece Ann Anderson-Eastman; Nephews: Bill DePratt, Tim Begando, and Steven Paradee.
He is survived are his wife Joyce, Daughters Susan Begando, Kelly (Harter) Crowder, and Sheri (Harter) Sztamenits; Brother: Charles Begando and wife Eileen (Walker) of Weir, Kansas; and Sisters: Margaret (Begando) Paradee of Columbus, Kansas, and Sara (Begando) Anderson of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and four grandchildren: Connor and Easton Sztamenits of Missouri and Chase and Luke Crowder of Texas and several nieces and nephews.
The body will be cremated and a memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 11th at 1:00 pm at the Park Cemetery Chapel on SE Wyandotte Road in Columbus, Kansas.