Thomas Reed Hagen, (1948 - 2017) - ForeverMissed.com Online Memorials

69 years old
Born on April 8, 1948 in Lowell, Michigan, United States
Passed away on November 28, 2017 in Florence, Kentucky, United States

This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Thomas Hagen, 69, born on April 8, 1948 and passed away on November 28, 2017. He is survived by his wife Jean Matteson and his two daughters, Jamie Hagen and Jena Hagen. Thomas also leaves behind his mother Beverly Reed Hagen, and brother and sister James Hagen and Patti Wilcox. Tom was born in Lowell, Michigan and resided in Florence, Kentucky. He took great pride in his work as a Credit Manager at Nucor Steel (formerly Gallatin Steel) where he worked for 19 years.

Thank you for visiting Tom's memorial page. You can learn about him by reading the "his life" and "stories" pages as well as visiting the "gallery". Please feel welcome to add your own photos and stories as well. For those wishing to make a donation, please consider donating to the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park in Cincinnati on behalf of Tom. It was a place he loved visiting and photographing often over the years.

Tributes

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April 11

I will always remember your birthday, Tom. This year it was highlighted by the total eclipse. I miss the conversations we might’ve had about the event, it’s significance, and all of the wonderful conspiracy theories that were propagated. So much going on in the political world that it will be most interesting to see changes by your next birthday. Still remember your visits fondly, and speak often of them with your nieces and nephews. As always, you remain in my thoughts and prayers. Your brother.

April 11

Wishing you a happy birthday! A few days late but better late than never.
You would have really loved celebrating your birthday this year.
People throughout parts of America, including in Ohio, not far from where you
lived, were able to view a total eclipse of the sun on April 8th. I know you would have been watching! Who knows, maybe you got to see it from heaven!

November 29, 2023

Another year has flown by very quickly. It is hard to believe you left us six years ago. Everyone misses you very much. The girls are doing very well, and you would be so proud of them both. Jena followed in your financial footsteps,
and is now a CPA. She passed all her tests on the first try. Jamie is traveling
constantly and working very hard, getting ready to publish her book. I am still working at the preschool and enjoying it very much. Time passes too quickly.

April 9, 2023

Happy Birthday Tom! I was listening to the radio on your birthday and believe it or not my song for you came on the radio. I was so surprised! I hadn't heard it in many years, and it brought tears to my eyes. It was definitely a message from above.
Today is Easter Sunday, the day after your birthday, and because "He has risen" we know you are in a heavenly place.

April 8, 2023

Hey Tom. Happy birthday again my brother. As I get older and my health begins to fade, my memories only get stronger. I visited Mom and Dad at the Cemetary a few months ago when I was in Lowell. Talked to Patty to about all of us growing up there too. My kids talk still about their Uncle Tom!

December 2, 2022

This week a few days after the fifth anniversary of your death my beloved cat The Banshee died. She was diagnosed with cancer just one week after you died, so I've poured so much love into caring for her over these years of grieving your death. I developed my love of cats from you dad. Talking about the felines we shared our lives with was always such a big part of our daily chats.

While it makes me so sad to lose The Banshee after 18 years together, I know she is joining you, Stubb kitty and Trouble Cat, so you now have three cats all surrounding you with lots of snuggles and purrs!

November 28, 2022

Hi Tom. I still vividly remember having just walked into my hotel room in Dalian, China in 2017 to teach for the Chinese universities when I got the call that we had lost you. Over 6500 miles and 3 days of travel away made the loss very hard indeed. It’s now 1 ½ years since we lost Mom on Mother’s Day too. Please let her know that it is so incredibly hard to stuff a turkey without her bleary-eyed help Thanksgiving morning. I love and miss you both so much! I am still blessed with all the love I have around me, but you will always be well-remembered
Love, your brother.

November 28, 2022

It is hard to believe it has been 5 years since you left us. Of course, we all miss you. I am still working at the preschool, and I believe it is my fourteen year this year. It keeps me busy, and I enjoy the job. Jamie and Jena are working
very hard. I sometimes worry about how hard they work. Jamie travels the world and Jena is preparing for her CPA exam and working for a top firm.
I will be glad when her exams are over. You would be so proud of her.
She seems to have inherited you gift with numbers! Wish you were here
to see your beautiful daughters and share in their success.

April 8, 2022

Happy Birthday Tom! We enjoyed some great birthdays together! Remember in Connecticut when I hired a limo to pick you up at work to take us out for a fantastic lunch at a special colonial well-known restaurant. I even had a delicious martini in a special martini glass waiting for you in the limo! It was a memorable and fun birthday for both of us!

April 8, 2022

Happy birthday Tom. I never missed giving you a call on your birthday, and will always remember it fondly. We will always miss you brother. Love, Jim.

November 28, 2021

Mourning the anniversary of your death is just another day to say I wish I could talk to you everyday, share this wild life with you.

Today Margaret and I went to The Gobbins cliff path here in Northern Ireland. It was important to me to be outside, to have my big feelings in nature. I know you would’ve appreciated hearing about and seeing pictures from our adventure - the little seals we saw bobbing in the surf, learning about all about the birds that nest on the cliff path every year. I’d love to be able to talk to you about all the things I saw, dream about you coming to visit to enjoy this beautiful place.

It's heartbreaking to be here without you, yet whenever I think about losing you from this world I always just love you and remember you more.

This evening we watched Kedi, the film we both loved so much about the cats of Istanbul. There are so many moments when petting a cat (one I'm living with or one I meet at random) I think about you. You're with me always.

November 28, 2021

Tom, not a Thanksgiving goes by that I don’t remember the wonderful Thanksgivings at my home when you were able to attend with Patty and her family. My kids loved having you here, and fondly remember not only the meal, but the fun we had playing games afterwards. I will always miss our phone conversations and our animated discussions about politics and the other things going on in the world. We would certainly have a great deal to talk about now!
Obviously you know that on Mother’s Day this year, we lost mom to this world, and you gained her back again. I miss you both so much! Patty and I speak of you both all the time and know that at some point we will all be together again. Missing you and remembering you with love, brother.

November 28, 2021

Good morning, Tom! Well, it is hard to believe that we lost you 4 years ago.
I went to mass today in remembrance of you. The world has been in a bit of a frenzy because of a virus named COVID so fortunately you did not have to deal with that medical horror.
The girls are both doing well. You would be very proud of them both! Jena must have inherited your financial skills because she is well on her way to becoming an accountant. I know she did not get any math skills from me!
Everyone misses you and thinks of you daily. Jamie is thinking of you today as she enjoys an outdoor adventure in Belfast and Jena visited the Bellagio Observatory in Las Vegas.

April 9, 2021

Happy Birthday Tom! Time is flying by very quickly. The world has been a bit crazy this last year so you really haven't missed must. The girls are doing well and you would be so proud of them . Jena is following in your footsteps and using her math skills in preparation for possibly becoming a CPA. Jamie is enjoying Belfast and working very hard. I am still working at the school and enjoying my work.

April 8, 2021

Yes, Tom, I will forever think of you on your birthday. I never missed talking with you and still miss our long discussions. I often wonder what you would have to say about COVID and all that is happening in our country right now - I'm sure you would have a great deal to say! Mom is now beginning to fade, and I hope that she will see her 98th birthday. I am comforted by the thought that you will be there for her. Happy birthday brother.
/Jim

December 28, 2020

After leaving Northern Kentucky for college, the holidays were a time I would spend with you, whether Thanksgiving or Christmas or if I was lucky, both.

Being able to take time to rest during the holiday season while enjoying talking about the latest music, movies, TV shows we were listening to is something that always brought me comfort and calm. Going out to eat at Ambar Indian, catching a movie at Esquire on Ludlow in Cincinnati always returned me to that feeling of 'home'. What movie would we go see this holiday season? (Well, maybe 2020 would be a year we'd skip going to the theatre with COVID-19!)

But I find new ways to bring that feeling of home with me thinking about things that you loved. Margaret and I are watching the entire series of the West Wing, a show you loved and one I know we'd be talking about a lot during our regular calls if you were still here. I wish I could talk to you about how silly our cat London behaves as she dashes around our place here in Belfast because I know you would've been very amused!

Even though it is hard to be without you, you are here in my day to day in so many ways. Feeling both grateful and saddened this time of year, missing you always.

November 28, 2020

Tom, it has been three years since you left us. The girls and I think about you every day and miss you. We had some wonderful times together that we all remember. The girls are doing fine and they are very successful and beautiful young ladies. I am proud of them and I am sure you are too!
Time passes so quickly, it is so hard to think it has been three years since you left us. Please continue to look down on us and smile.

April 11, 2020

I still find myself picking up the phone to give you a call on April 8, Tom. That will probably never change! I really want to hear your thoughts, ideas, even complaints about what the world is now going through. Much of my family is in medicine, and on the front lines of CoViD-19 right now. I fear for them and for the world with how we will respond. I miss you Tom!

April 10, 2020

Time is passing by very quickly but the girls and I think about you every day.
You would be so proud of both the girls. They are wonderful young ladies.
Jamie is teaching at Queens University in Belfast. You would love the university campus as it is one of the top 10 in the world! Jena is working for the Multiple Sclerosis Organization and thinking about going back to school.
The world is a bit crazy now with a virus which has gone global. You are not missing this experience of having to be isolated in your home day after day.
Wishing you a Happy Birthday Tom!

April 10, 2020

Another birthday not on this earth, my friend. You are dearly missed.

December 12, 2019

I think about you and miss you all of the time! Wish you were still here.

Lots of love and Merry Christmas...

Jena

November 28, 2019

Well Tom it has been two years. You are missed by all of us.
Today Jena is on her way to Utah for vacation and Jamie is in Belfast Ireland.
You would be so proud of your girls. They both work very hard and are
beautiful young ladies!
Jamie is watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade on the computer in Belfast and remembering out fantastic time when the Thomas Hagen family went to NYC for the parade! Wonderful memories! Happy Thanksgiving!

September 1, 2019

I am so very sorry to hear of the loss of Thomas Reed Hagen! This truly breaks my heart! He was my step father for about 5 years, he was married to my Mother Judith Krupp. I have carried his name with me my whole life! He was the only true father figure I had growing up. ( this includes my two sisters Wendy and Lisa). I reached out to him years later when we both worked for Transamerica. He was a kind and loving man and father to us. This truly saddens my heart. He is in my thoughts and prayers. His step-daughter, Victoria Goralsky .

April 10, 2019

Hi, Dad!
I think about you all the time, but especially during this time of year. Not only because of your birthday, but also because we would always be planning our next adventure together right about now, as I would love to visit you during Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or if we had to push it, then on Labor Day weekend.
We enjoyed many good times when I would come to visit, including:
~ Filling up our passports with stamps as we made our way around the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
~ Dining at the famous Precinct on steaks and fine wine, where as crazy as it sounds, the last two times we went (2016 & 2017), our final bill was EXACTLY the same amount despite the fact that we ordered completely different items! Now, you're probably wondering, how did we know it was the same? Well, Dad was the master of all record keeping, and keep all of our receipts. We certainly enjoyed looking back on what we'd had in the past.
~ Eating Greek when you introduced me to my first cup of Turkish coffee!
~ Exploring the art of growing bonsai trees. You gave me a bonsai tree while I was in college. I did my best to nurture it, but I just don't have quite the green thumb that you always did.
~ Checking out Barnes & Noble for the latest books, games, and trinkets. When it came to gizmos and gadgets, you always knew the latest one!
~ Talking business at the kitchen table over homemade breakfast while watching the squirrels and birds outside your windows.
Happy birthday, Dad!
Love,
Jena

April 8, 2019

Yes, Tom, it’s your birthday again! You know that every year on your birthday I gave you a call so we could talk about many things: our health, current electronics, kids, just a chance to catch up. We all still talk about you often, especially my kids, who so appreciated being around you and your sense of humor! I’ve added a few pictures, including your second birthday and some as we grew up. I still really miss you and our talks, and will remember your birthday as long as I live! Rest well, brother.

November 29, 2018

It has now been a year since you left us. Everyone misses you very much. The girls are doing very well and you would be very proud of them.
They have grown into fine independent young woman.
The holidays are approaching quickly and it will be sad to celebrate them without you. My prayers are with you every day.

February 15, 2018

Tom hired me at Gallatin and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to know him.
Over the years we had lots of conversations, sometimes work related, but mostly about important things like snow, the lottery or cats.
Tom was never too busy when I stopped by for a visit and I miss those times.

Jamie and Jena, when Tom spoke of you, he was always full of pride, I know he loved you very much.

January 15, 2018

I feel blessed to have worked for Tom for 18 years. I just thought he was great! He was good to me, he taught many things and he made me laugh. I miss his visits to my office where we shared stories about food, movies, technology and our families. Tom was interesting, he was "one of a kind." The last day I saw him he was VERY happy and that's just one of many good memories I will remember about Tom.

January 10, 2018

Over our many years working together at Gallatin and Nucor , as a resident sales rep, I would come in to visit at the office.

I would always look to "hang out " in Tom's cubicle and talk about Shows, Electronics , Animals, His daughters and business.

Last year , while at home with an illness , Tom and I discussed all the shows that I should look at watching on Netflix, etc. while I was "stuck" home.
I enjoyed Tom because we shared many common interests and as I found out , TV shows, too.

Thank you , Tom - for being my friend.

Jeanne

January 1, 2018

When it came to his job, Tom was focused and tenacious, but at work, he also loved sharing a family story or a good joke. We miss his humor, his wit and most of all, his friendship. Even though we're sad, our memories of Tom continue to make us smile.
Cathy

December 20, 2017

I worked closely with Tom at Gallatin Steel. His wisdom he shared and Tom-isms to this day frame my outlook. I deeply respected and enjoyed Tom. He was one of the smartest people I have ever met. Tom and I carpooled to work, talked a great deal. Tom made me laugh. He was a good friend. Although we haven’t worked together for several years, I continue to share Tom quotes and stories.
I loved seeing the Dad side of Tom. Clearly he loved his family and was devoted to his children. Although I had not met them, felt as if I knew his girls for he spoke about his daughters frequently.

Tom’s colleagues say he was especially joyful and noticeably happy lately. May you find peace in Tom’s passing. Thank you for the opportunity to share on this memorial.
Laura

December 13, 2017

Tom, over the years you lit up the lives of three lovely ladies....Jean, Jamie and Jena.

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Recent Tributes

April 11

November 29, 2023

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Gallery

I keep your Krohn mug (now planter!) on my desk and think of you whenever I see it.

Visiting the Gateway Arch in St. Louis for my H.S. graduation trip in 2003. - Jena (daughter)

Visiting the Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis for my H.S. graduation trip in 2003. - Jena (daughter)

Visiting St. Louis for my H.S. graduation trip in 2003. - Jena (daughter)

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Adventures with Dad

April 10, 2019

Hi, Dad!

I think about you all the time, but especially during this time of year. Not only because of your birthday, but also because we would always be planning our next adventure together right about now, as I would love to visit you during Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or if we had to push it, then on Labor Day weekend.

We enjoyed many good times when I would come to visit, including:

~ Filling up our passports with stamps as we made our way around the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

~ Dining at the famous Precinct on steaks and fine wine, where as crazy as it sounds, the last two times we went (2016 & 2017), our final bill was EXACTLY the same amount despite the fact that we ordered completely different items! Now, you're probably wondering, how did we know it was the same? Well, Dad was the master of all record keeping, and keep all of our receipts. We certainly enjoyed looking back on what we'd had in the past.

~ Eating Greek when you introduced me to my first cup of Turkish coffee!

~ Exploring the art of growing bonsai trees. You gave me a bonsai tree while I was in college. I did my best to nurture it, but I just don't have quite the green thumb that you always did.

~ Checking out Barnes & Noble for the latest books, games, and trinkets. When it came to gizmos and gadgets, you always knew the latest one!

~ Talking business at the kitchen table over homemade breakfast while watching the squirrels and birds outside your windows.

Happy birthday, Dad!

Love,

Jena

Happy 70th Birthday Dad!

April 8, 2018

Today would've been Tom's 70th birthday.

We all miss him so much and think of him everyday, but especially today. Today we celebrated and honored his memory by spending some time among orchids and other beautiful plants that meant so much to him.

It's so hard to be without him, but memories shared while reflecting together on his time with us warms our hearts.

Happy birthday dad!

Love,

Jamie, Jena and Jean

April 8, 2018

Mom and Dad were so incredibly proud!

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