It is with sorrow and gratitude that we mark the passing of Thomas Norman Bazeley of De Soto, MO — sorrow at the loss, gratitude for the life.
What follows is written with love, by those who knew him best.
Thomas spent his working life as ['parole administrator for the State of California'] and held deeply to the Catholic faith — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew him best.
Service is one chapter of a life, but for those who serve, it shapes every other.
Thomas Norman Bazeley was born in Oakland, CA on April 28, 1935 a son to Norman and Margaret (nee Kelly) Bazeley. He died at his Hillsboro home on April 24, 2026 at the age of 90. He is survived by two daughters Alice (David) Hug, Santa Rosa, CA and Judy (Kevin) Kempa, Hillsboro; his grandchildren: Elizabeth (Daniel) Pirak, Patrick (Eliza) Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Jessica (Paul Parent) Kempa, Jennifer (Renan) Leme and John Kempa and his great grandchildren: Jackson Pirak, Wesley Pirak, Penelope Pirak and Leonardo Leme. He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife Patricia (nee Graham) Bazeley. Tom served in the United States Army during the Korean War. He held a bachelors degree in criminology from the University of California-Berkeley and a masters degree in Business Administration from Golden Gate University. After serving as a deputy sheriff for the Alameda County Sheriff's Department he retired as a parole administrator for the State of California. He was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, De Soto, MO.
Dietrich-Mothershead Funeral Home serves Desoto, Hillsboro, Festus, Herculaneum, and Olympian Village with funeral and cremation services. Our mission at Dietrich-Mothershead is to help you create an event for your loved one that celebrates the choices they made, the relationship you shared, and honors the memory of your loved one.
