Tom Heiser

Tom Steven Heiser, 73, of Platteville, Wisconsin, died on Saturday, May 30, 2026, after a long illness.  Tom was born in Platteville, WI to Helen (Drury) Heiser and Gordon Heiser. He enjoyed a childhood of mild mischief-making around town and summer weekends on Lake Delton. He graduated from Platteville High School in 1970 and earned a business degree from UW-Platteville in 1974.

From 13 years old, he’d helped his parents at Heiser Hardware, and when his father passed away in 1972, Tom stepped into managing the business alongside his mother. Tom thrived on helping people and was driven to provide the best customer service to all who entered the store; he would try to locate anything that anyone needed or come up with innovative fixes to customers’ issues. He served on the Mautz Paint Advisory Board for several years.

 Tom married Karen Ingersoll on May 13, 1978, at the Platteville United Methodist Church, and they had two children, Lindsay and Lauren.

Tom was wholeheartedly dedicated to giving back to the Platteville community and served as president of the Jaycees and the United Way, was a member of the Optimists, chairperson of the Trustees of the United Methodist Church, and often delivered Meals on Wheels. He was also a supporter of Wisconsin Badger Camp and UW-Platteville Athletics.

Tom opened the Culver’s restaurant in Platteville in 1992. He was honored as Platteville’s Citizen of the Year in 2003 and received the Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Service Award in 2023.

Tom loved music—playing the drum set in the high school pep band and continuing to drum for many years. He also loved boating on the Mississippi River, golf, bowling, and vacations to Ft. Myers Beach, Florida. The joy of his grandchildren lifted him up in his final years.

Tom is survived by his wife Karen, children Lindsay (David) Heiser Barger and Lauren (Jim) Heiser-Ertel, grandchildren Everett Barger, Vivian Barger, Felicity Ertel, and another grandchild on the way, along with many beloved extended family members and longtime friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Ted, his stepfather Nelson Napp, and his parents-in-law Melvin and Helen Ingersoll.

 Memorial services celebrating Tom’s life will be at 11:30 AM on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the Melby Funeral Home & Crematory, Platteville. Rev. Tammy Clausen will officiate.  Visitation will be from 9:30 until the time of the service on Saturday at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Platteville at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Tom S. Heiser Memorial Fund, to help the local community.  Online condolences can be made at www.melbyfh.com.

 His family sends their deepest thanks to the St. Croix Hospice team for their care of Tom during his Parkinson’s journey, to the Southwest Health EMS team for their responsiveness to calls, and to Edenbrook of Platteville for their care during Tom’s stays. Thank you to everyone who supported Tom and our family through calls and visits. We truly appreciate all of you.