Tom Puls
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Raised in Tribute:
$4228.27Thomas B. Puls II, 69, passed away on Wednesday, November 17th, 2021 at his home in Houston, Texas.
Tom is survived by his former spouse Donna Ricco and their sons Marshall, Cooper, and Dexter, as well as his brothers and sisters— Larry Puls, Lucy Puls, Melissa Tanel, and Todd Puls— and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was born on June 8th, 1952, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Thomas B. Puls, Sr. and Louise Anne Tannel. In 1970, Tom traveled to Washington state to climb Mount Rainier with his uncle Chuck, an accomplishment of which he was proud for the rest of his life. He graduated from Pulaski High School in Milwaukee, where he played football and was a member of the swim team.
In 1974, Tom graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and completed his education in 1978 with a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, followed by a brief career in social services with the Office of the Public Defender in Milwaukee.
In 1982, Tom left Milwaukee for New York City, where he and his future wife Donna launched fashion brand Donna Ricco New York. The two achieved quick success and Tom proudly ran the business for over 30 years. Tom acclimated to life in NYC and relished visits to galleries and art museums, where he discovered his love for contemporary art and photography, as well as the culture, food, and vibrancy of the city.
On weekends, Tom would drive Donna and their boys to their home on the North Fork of Long Island to unwind and focus on family. Tom especially loved boating on the Peconic Bay, reading his stack of business journals by the pool, or enjoying a cocktail and the view from the deck.
Tom loved the desert and enjoyed trips to Arizona and California, and especially his 50th birthday motorcycle ride to tour the Southwest, culminating in a family celebration in New Mexico.
Tom cherished this quote from American political columnist and writer, Charles Krauthammer: “I leave this life with no regrets. It was a wonderful life— full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living. I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.”
Tom spent the last several years living in Houston. His bright wit and lively banter will be greatly missed.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. The Foundation is the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, with more than $800 million in high-impact research funded to date.
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