Thomas M. Stark

Thomas Michael “Pickles” Stark, 28, of Maple Plain, passed away on March 5th, 2023 from sudden cardiac arrest. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Howard and Charlene Stark, uncle, Arnie Roepke, great-uncle, Dick Stark, father, Glen Korpi, half brother, Nick Korpi, paternal grandfather, Marlyn Korpi, uncle, Keith Korpi, and aunt, Cindy Korpi. Tom is survived by his son, Bentley Reed, mom, Denise Stark, special friend, Heather Cogbill, and many (and we mean many – just ask the nurses who were trying to control the visitor room overflow) friends, family, and coworkers. Tom was the best dad and loved his son more than he could express. He was so proud of the young man Bentley was becoming and loved going to all of his sporting events. They enjoyed doing anything outdoors together, father/son massages, going to Minnesota sports games, and getting pretzels at the mall. Anyone who was lucky enough to know Tom will say the same thing – he had the biggest heart and was the most generous person you’d know.

He would be the first to bail you out or pick you up when you’re down. Tom’s generosity will live on through the lives of four individuals he donated his organs to. This gift was made possible by the heroic actions of his mom by performing chest compressions until first responders arrived. Register to become an organ donor when renewing your drivers license or by visiting www.donatelife.net/register To learn how to perform CPR, sign up for a class at www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cps

A short memorial service will take place on Saturday, March 11th from 1:00–2:00 p.m. at Rettinger Funeral Home, 425 Lake St, Long Lake, MN 55356. The service will be followed by a celebration of life from 3:00 p.m. ‘till close – in true Tom fashion – at Monie’s, 4820 US-12, Maple Plain, MN 55359. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to help cover funeral costs and fund Bentely’s future at www.gofundme.com/tom-stark Thank you to the Maple Plain Fire Department, West Hennepin Police Department, EMS, ICU, and surgical teams at North Memorial Hospital, and the LifeSource team.

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