Thomas Burley Stephenson

Thomas Burley Stephenson was born to Elizabeth Gove and George Burley Stephenson in Minneapolis Minnesota September 28, 1942 and went to our Lord on December 3, 2025 at home in Hamilton Montana. Tom was raised in Minnesota with his older sister Patricia. He had various jobs while growing up, anything to make spending money. His mother was a test cook for Betty Crocker where he first learned the rudiments of cooking. Tom also forged his lifelong love of all outdoor activities early in his life.

After high school, he was 18 when he went into the Army, Company A, 1st Airborne, 506 Infantry where he cooked and earned Parachutist and Sharpshooter badges. He served on standby during the Bay of Pigs in 1961.

He worked for the National Elevator Company, traveling around the country for 20 years. In 1984, he moved to Corvallis Montana and continued his love of cooking and eventually became a contractor. When driving through towns in Ravalli County and beyond, he often remarked that he worked on this place or that and remembered what kind of job it was.

June 5, 1999, Tom married Debra Iavicoli at the "old" Corvallis United Methodist Church. They traveled to visit family and friends, boating, fishing in Alaska and other places, goose hunts in Canada, deer and elk hunts wherever opportunity presented itself.

He was an EMT, an active member of the Hamilton Trap Club and participated in the 2002 Shriner's Shoot, did woodworking in his shop, bred and raised cows and various other pursuits that struck his interest. He enjoyed cutting and splitting wood in later years. Tom was the one to say, "Can I Help?" or "What do you need?", was a mentor to many, never knew a stranger, told great stories, loved his church family and cooking church dinners. He looked forward to seeing his coffee friends in the mornings Monday through Friday.

Tom is "on the road again" ahead of his loving wife Debra, son David (Karen) and one granddaughter and three grandsons, Jeff, stepson Sean Northrup (Alison) and three granddaughters, dogs Yukon and Rodeo, a niece Chris, nephew Randy and a vast variety of neighbors, church family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at Corvallis United Methodist Church. There will be a luncheon following the service for family and friends. Military honors will be presented by the Corvallis American Legion and the US Army.

Please do not send flowers due to Allergies within the family. Please make donations to a Children's Charity, haven House, Pantry Partners or the Darby Bread Box.

Tom is deeply missed by all. Go with God.