Tom Walter Borger, 73, of Prior Lake, MN, passed away peacefully in his home on Monday, February 19th, after a long battle with cancer. Family and lots of love surrounded him. Tom was a Minnesota boy—he was born and raised in Minneapolis and moved to Prior Lake in the 70s, where he built his family home.
A visitation will be held at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, 4565 Pleasant St SE, Prior Lake, MN on Friday, March 1st, from 9-11 am, followed by a celebration of life at 11am. He will be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.
Tom was born on February 10th, 1951, to parents Walter and Amy. As a kid, Tom joined the Boy Scouts but became more interested in Harley Davidson Motorcycles as an adolescent. His wife of 50 years, Jean, called him “A big ol’ biker with a heart of gold.” He was adventurous and loved to ride his bike on the open road anywhere he could, including national parks and Sturgis.
Following high school, Tom enlisted in the armed forces and served in the Vietnam War from 1970-1973. He went on to study welding at Dunwoody Industrial Institute and spent over 20 years in the profession. Tom was a small business owner, school bus driver, and tow truck driver in the Prior Lake community. If you ever had Santa driving your bus, you met Tom.
Tom married Jean in 1974 and had two children, Thor and Toby. Tom’s favorite moments included riding his Harley with Jean, going to concerts, camping, working with metal, and attending the MN State Fair, where he would start his day with a foot-long hot dog. Tom loved sharing his hobbies with his sons, including working in the shop on motorcycles, toy collecting, and classic cartoons.
Tom is survived by his loving wife, Jean; sons, Thor (Erin) and Toby (Andrea); five grandchildren, Madison, Albert, Jessica, Levi, and Lena; older sister, Cheryl (Bruce); and other family and friends. Tom is preceded in death by his parents.
