Thomas Gillins

Thomas Norman Gillins

1957 ~ 2015

Thomas Norman Gillins, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and  bridge builder, lost a long battle with cancer on Thursday, April 9, 2015 when he passed away at his home in North Ogden surrounded by his family.  He was 58.

Tom was born on January 29, 1957 in Ogden, Utah, the son of Norman and Phyllis Gillins.  He graduated from Ben Lomond High School and attended Weber State College and the University of Utah where he earned a bachelors degree in civil engineering in 1980.  He joined the Forest Service that same year.

While in college, Tom married his high school sweetheart, Teresa Ahlmer, of Ogden who earned a teaching degree from Weber State.  They were sealed for time and eternity in the Ogden LDS Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and spent 36 years together.  They have five children and nine grandchildren.

Gillins was a top bridge and structural engineer for U.S. Forest Service who designed more than 400 bridges now in use in 12 national forests in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada.

He worked 34 years for the Forest Service based in Ogden, including 20 years as Intermountain Regional Bridge Engineer.  In 2010, he was also named as the national lead technical support engineer for structures and bridges for the entire Forest Service.  He held that position as well as the regional engineer’s job until his retirement.

Tom is survived by his wife and children, Mary (Aaron) McCumber of Fruit Heights, UT; Daniel (Chuthima) Gillins of Corvallis, OR; Laura (Jordon) Gibb of Pleasant View, UT; Matt (Sarah) Gillins of Corvallis, OR; and David (Brooke) Gillins of Ogden, UT.  He is also survived by a sister, Jane Ann (Alan) Ottenheimer of Great Falls, MT; and a brother, Peter W. (Linda) Gillins of Portland, OR.

Tom served many years as the financial clerk of the Ben Lomond 5 ^th Ward in North Ogden and was also a Boy Scout leader and coach of church basketball teams.  He loved the outdoors and was an avid and expert fly fisherman, a sport he taught to all of his children.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 13, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Ben Lomond 5 ^th Ward Chapel, 3350 North 1050 East, North Ogden.  Friends may visit with family on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s North Ogden Mortuary, 2140 N. Washington Blvd.  and Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church.  Interment, Lindquist’s Washington Heights, Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd.

The family wishes to thank all those with Step Forward Hospice for helping Tom during his final days.