Thomas R Szambecki

In his 72 years, Tom Szambecki lived a more interesting, eclectic life than most of us can imagine. And yet, he was the same loving, generous, brilliant light in the lives of everyone he met along the way.

First, there was his colorful youth. He was born on March 27, 1952, in Wichita, Kansas, to Ed and Vivian Szambecki, joining older brother Tony. The circumstances in which he picked up the ability to play piano at a young age are the stuff of urban legend. If you're reading this, you likely have your own version. He attended Christ the King Catholic School and Wichita West High School.

Beginning at age 14, Tom’s after school and weekend job was working at Pizza Hut. Following high school, Tom briefly lived in Kent, Ohio, where he worked at his brother Tony’s first (of many) Pizza Huts. He may have lived some other places, but he was generally drinking too much to remember. When he returned to Wichita, Tom became a full time musician, attempting to make a living playing in various bands while living with friends. 

In 1978, he re-met and married Liz Unruh and chose to adopt her son, Jeremiah, and the three of them became a family. They added Jenni in 1979. Around this time, Tom was getting exceptionally good at several things: playing the piano, being a dad, and sewers. He eventually took his entrepreneurial ventures in plumbing to new heights—or more accurately, new depths—by expanding on his skills learned at Tom’s Sewer Service and starting Sewer Masters Corporation, which served municipalities throughout the state.

Tom and Liz divorced and Tom quit drinking, but he continued to play in several bands known throughout the Wichita area—including Off The Wall, Built for Comfort, Keefer Madness, and Women Without Purses—and ran a sewer business known for quality and integrity. In 1996, he was introduced to, and became smitten with, Martha Unruh. They married in 1998. He joined Shalom Mennonite Church, a church family he loved, and in 2000, had daughter Kate with Martha. 

Tom knew both success and failure but was always determined to learn from each. When his sewer business failed, he considered returning to college for an education degree or to work in youth ministry. In need of a job, he answered an ad for a special education para in the Hesston school system the week before school started, interviewed, and was hired on the spot. Within the first week, he came home stating he knew that he wanted to work in special education. Tom sold his company and began attending Bethel College, fulfilling his dream to become a teacher. 

While Tom had always loved children and young people, it became clear when he was working at Youthville during his Bethel years that he had a very unique gift (one of so many) of connecting with the most high-need students. Tom became a special education teacher, earning a Master's degree in 2014 and the respect of his colleagues throughout the Wichita area until his retirement in 2023. His teaching legacy lives on through the special education programs he led and the countless lives he touched through his work.

Tom continued playing piano in bands and at church. He lived and breathed music. He loved to search out new bands, new sounds, new tunes to play, and loved collaborating with other musicians more than anything. Tom loved to create—always adding his special touch, breathing soul into the music he played—and often stretched his fellow musicians and himself.

He loved Shalom, often saying that his first visit sold him when he saw that Shalom allowed children to climb over the pews during the service. Though he didn’t speak often about his faith, he lived it every day and was deeply spiritual. He spent years teaching high school Sunday School, encouraging youth to ask questions, challenging and nurturing their faith. He led children’s stories, often putting the congregation on alert because they didn’t know what unexpected twist would be part of the story. He put many hours into the church’s sound system, continuously wanting to improve it so that everyone would have equal access to experiencing the service.

Tom enjoyed many creative endeavors beyond music, including weaving, knitting, woodworking, and finding the driest, most straight face comeback or joke. He always had numerous projects going, including working on the same house projects for 20 straight years. He also nurtured deep relationships with his family and friends, from long conversations over coffee to themed music nights to his yearly Christmastime banana bread pilgrimage visiting friends from every era of his life. 

Tom had an exceptional gift for seeing strengths within others that they themselves may not even know about, and creating opportunities for them to develop and share those with the world. He had both exceptional humor and a tender heart. He was not stuck in his ways—except in regards to clothing—and was always curious, always learning about new ideas, new music, new technology, and new ways of thinking, including attending therapy, until his final days. 

The cancer he overcame in 2023 became the cancer that came back in 2024 and it progressed faster than anyone in his life wanted. Nevertheless, Tom's wife and all of his children, along with several family members and friends, were able to surround him in his final days with love and affection and music and laughter. He died peacefully on January 14, 2025.

Tom is survived by his beautiful wife, Martha; children, Jeremiah "Jay" and Shannon Szambecki, Jenni Szambecki and Brant Benninga, and Kate Szambecki; grandchildren, Tessa Szambecki Toy and Colton Toy, Reed Szambecki, Emily Benninga, Maddie Szambecki, Dalton Rush, and Shawn Sheesley; sister-in-law, Diana Szambecki; nephew and family, Lee, Katie, Liam and Irene Szambecki; niece and family, Shea, David and Drew Loper; and approximately 1 trillion friends whom he accumulated throughout his colorful, beautiful life. He was preceded in death by his brother, Tony Szambecki; nephew, Aaron Szambecki; and parents, Ed and Vivian Szambecki.

There are so many more details, moments, events, and relationships in Tom's life than we can share here. If you are reading this and knew Tom, you know. He loved well, and he inspired everyone who would let him to love well, love big, and love without exception. For those of us who now must move forward without him, let it be so. Gifts may be made in Tom’s honor to either Shalom Mennonite Church or a charity of your choice.

Tom’s memorial service will be held at Shalom Mennonite Church in Newton, KS at 2:00 p.m. on February 2, 2025. It will also be live streamed at youtube.com/live/lDuTt3asmxw. Fellowship and a time of sharing will follow the service. All are welcome.