Thomas Richard Mikita

Thomas Richard Mikita passed away 1/20/2026. He was 77 years old. He was preceded in death by his father Thomas Mikita and his estranged mother Annie Kluga. He is survived by his wife of 53 years Jacquie, 4 sons Andrew, Toby, Tommy (Sarah), and Darby (Santina) and his 6 grandkids, Jacob, Lily, Morgan, Easton, Maverick and Rowdy. He is also survived by his brother Andrew (Eva) West of Virginia Beach, VA and his sister Theresa West of Chico, CA.

Tom was born on January 17th 1949 in Erlangen Germany. He lived in Europe for the first 10 years of his life and always had a love for the land of his birth. He would tell stories about the Army Base in Wildflicken Germany; playing Little League baseball in front of the GI’s and how rowdy they would get. He would speak fondly about life in Salzburg Austria, traveling in Switzerland and how beautiful the Alps were. That is where his love of baseball and the mountains developed.

After his family moved to the US, they settled among the redwood trees near Santa Cruz, California. Tom loved to be outdoors and the pleasant year-round climate near Santa Cruz allowed him to do so. Tom always felt his spiritual need and in his early years began to study the bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. His faith in the promise of the bible built a strong relationship with his heavenly father. He was baptized in 1971. This is also about the time that he got reacquainted with Jacquelynn Sladwick. They had first met in Elementary and Jr High school but had lost contact during High School. Jacquie was also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and after his Baptism, they began hanging out with the same crowd, started dating and they married their “sweeties” on June 24, 1972. This began one of the greatest love stories ever.

After just a few months of marriage, they found out that they were going to be parents and about a year after they married, their first son Andrew was born. Tom always wanted kids and wanted to give them a better life than he had growing up. Tom was an active parent and loved being a dad. After a few years with Andy, Toby came along then Tommy. Even though they had 3 very busy boys, Tom and Jacquie always made time for each other. They would put the kids to bed, put on some music and fold the mounds of laundry that 3 boys would require. Many times, those folding sessions would turn into sock wars with Tom and Jacquie throwing socks at each other laughing the whole time. This playful love was something that they carried through their whole marriage.

Tom and Jacquie were cruising through life when in 1987, there was a surprise that changed everything. They found out that they were not done with kids and in early January 1988, Darby was born. Darby ushered in a whole new era in the Mikita Clan and really solidified the family. Tom loved his family and worked hard to provide for them physically, emotionally, materially and spiritually. Together with Jacquie, they taught the boys what a true love story looks like, humility and what it meant to care for others. This caring spirit moved Tom to serve as an Elder in his Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years and was viewed as a loving, approachable, and caring shepherd. His soft-spoken demeanor was kind and understanding. This allowed him to build many relationships that lasted for years.

Tom was excited to be a Grandpa, first with Jacob and Lily, then with Easton, Maverick and Rowdy. Spending time with them brought him so much joy. He never missed Easton and Maverick’s Little League games and even when Tommy and his family moved, Tom and Jacquie would make trips down to watch them play. He would look forward to the “baseball report” texts and videos that he would get and watch the videos over and over. He enjoyed spending time with Rowdy, looking for lizards with him and listening to him talk about dinosaurs and scorpions brought a smile to his face.

Tom loved riding his motorcycle in the mountains with Toby and Darby, He loved cold beer, playing the guitar, books, history and Baseball, he also enjoyed working and was an incredibly hard worker. He knew a little bit about every trade, and this allowed him to stay busy. Tom could fix anything and didn’t cut corners. He took pride in his work and always made sure it was quality. Throughout his whole life, Tom was always an active person. In his early 20’s he rode his bike from Santa Cruz to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. He ran in one of the first Wharf to Wharf races and enjoyed being in good shape. He rarely sat down at home to watch TV. He always had to be doing something. His family spent many summers in Yosemite, playing sports, and going to the beach. When life got tough, he had the perfect partner in Jacquie and his relationship with his heavenly father that allowed him to get through just about anything.

Tom’s legacy is one of love, caring, selflessness, loyalty, and hard work. Tom was quiet but when he spoke, it was powerful and worth listening to. Tom was a great man, and his name is one that his boys are proud to carry on in his absence. He was a wonderful Husband, Father, Grandpa and friend. He was a truly genuine person that made an impact on everyone that he met.

We love you Pops and will take care of your Sweetie.