Thomas Borschel

On December 29, 2011, Tom Borschel crossed his final finish line, ending a long battle with ALS. Tom was an avid athlete. His many passions included mountain and trail running, snowshoeing, nordic skiing, road biking, orienteering, and mountaineering. He enjoyed the challenge of pushing himself to the limit and found joy in climbing mountains as fast as he could. He conquered many of the highest peaks throughout the western United States and competed in many races worldwide. To this day, he still possesses numerous overall and masters course records, including one of his favorite accomplishments, a 30:32 ascent at the Mt. Tam Hill Climb in 1987. He returned to the Bay Area to commemorate its 20th anniversary in 2007. Just as important to Tom as the sport and challenge was the sharing of these times with his friends. He looked forward to supernova weekends and “dez trips” with his many friends. They packed in as much adventure, travel, and exuberance as possible, making these times most memorable. Matching his love of running and adventure was the enjoyment he found in sampling an eclectic selection of beverages. He enjoyed numerous varieties of beer and coffee from around the globe and was a certified beer judge. He taught himself to brew beer and to roast the perfect coffee bean. He also trained himself to be a fabulous cook through experimentation, both at home and on the road, which led to many “grand boofs” enjoyed by family and friends. Tom was born October 7, 1957, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the son of Hans Georg Borschel and Anneliese Zöllner Borschel. He graduated from Granite High School and continued his education with a mining engineering degree from the University of Utah and geotechnical engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He was an Engineering Manager at the Idaho National Laboratory. He met and married his wife, Gwen, while studying at the University of Utah. They spent the next 30+ years adventuring together, living in Utah, California, and finally Idaho. They raised two sons together, sharing their passion for running, adventure, and beautiful scenery with them every step of the way. The family enjoyed many trips to locations around the world and yearly summer trips to the family cabin at Bear Lake, Utah. Tom leaves behind his wife, Gwen; sons, Erik and Alan; father, Hans; sisters, Sylvia Lewis and Barbara Borschel; many nephews and nieces; his furry training partner, Molly; and countless friends and colleagues. He was preceded in death by his mother, Anne. Tom’s passion and determination for life, running, and adventure were an inspiration to all who knew him. His quest to play hard and run like a scalded dawg rubbed off on all those around him. A Celebration of Life will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 1780 South Bellin Road. No ceremony is planned, at Tom’s request; rather, friends are welcome to remain and reminisce through the evening as a celebration of Tom’s life. A favorite photo with a few words on the back may be brought to share with Tom’s sons. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association – ALS Division, available online at https://secure.mdausa.org/Donate.

Celebration of Life -- Saturday

3 - 5 p.m. ,Saturday, January 7, 2012 1780 South Bellin Road 1780 South Bellin Road Idaho Falls, ID, Bonneville 83402 Notes: A Celebration of Life will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 1780 South Bellin Road. No ceremony is planned, at Tom's request; rather, friends are welcome to remain and reminisce through the evening as a celebration of Tom's life. A favorite photo with a few words on the back may be brought to share with Tom's sons.