Harry Thomas ‘Tom’ Vars 93
Harry Thomas “Tom” Vars of Whitefish, born June 1, 1931, to Harry and Hildred Vars, Princeton, New Jersey, died Feb. 22, 2025, in Kalispell. Tom was the eldest of three, followed by sister, Jocelyn, and brother, Jon. Tom’s father was a MD at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. In spite of growing up outside Philadelphia, Tom’s childhood was spent playing with friends in the woods and at a local pond. Those skills would serve him well as he became a skilled outdoorsman and trapper by high school, skills he used throughout college.
Yearning for the outdoor life and a calling to the woods, Tom enrolled in the College of Forestry at the University of Idaho (UI) in Moscow. In the school year Tom’s favorite jobs were washing coins at the Nobby Inn or cutting potatoes into French Fries. Boy did he cut a lot of potatoes. During the summer he worked the fields of Northern Idaho in the White Pine Blister Rust Control Program, digging out currant and gooseberry bushes. In the off-season, he worked the Green Chain for Potlatch Corporation. He belonged to the Idaho Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Tom graduated from UI in May 1955 and was one of four College of Forestry graduates to go to work for Montana State Forestry, today’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Forestry Division. He was the only one of the four to make the DNRC his career.
Accepting the job in Montana, Tom moved his young family to the Flathead Valley, where he joined the Kalispell unit after a short stint in Missoula. Tom’s first Flathead home was a small cabin on Flathead Lake followed by a stint at the Fernwell Apartments. Tom and family eventually settled into a small house and acreage between Kalispell and Whitefish. Not uncommon during those days, the house didn’t have indoor toilet facilities. Coming from the big city Tom wanted a better toilet so he built an outhouse with heat and a picture window so he could “look at his trees while taking care of business.” Of course, that also meant people could see into the outhouse.
Tom became a capable log roller as one of his tasks was scaling logs; which were floating in ponds. He was always delighted to portray Smokey the Bear during community events.
He loved fire camp and even commented with the recent wildfires in California that he would like to be back in fire camp and on the fire lines. Fellow forester Paul Klug made the statement that when on the fire line and after a hard day fighting fire, the crew would be heading to bed while Tom would be walking through camp checking to make sure everything was okay, coffee cup in hand while puffing on his pipe. The next morning, when the crew was waking up for the day, you would find Tom, already awake with coffee cup in hand and puffing on his pipe, walking through camp making sure things were ready for the day.
Tom’s marriage to Barbara Hatch resulted in two daughters, Patricia and Tamara, but ended in divorce after nearly a decade. He married Margaret Conley in 1963, picking up stepson, Terry Wink and stepdaughter, Cindy Shores in the process. Barbara passed away in 2016 and Margaret in 1999.
While attending the funeral of a mutual acquaintance Tom reconnected with Caroline Weaver. Tom worked with Carol’s husband who had passed away many years before. After a courtship the two were married six days shy of Tom’s 70th birthday. From this marriage Tom added two more stepdaughters, Linda Johnson and Peggy Lewis, and a stepson, Rick Weaver. In addition, he added more grandchildren and great-grandchildren than you can count on both hands.
His wife Margaret, his parents, sister and brother, as well as many other relatives preceded Tom in death.
He is survived by his wife Caroline, daughters Patricia Goetz (Tony) and Tamara Bauerle (Gary), stepson Terry Wink (Kelly), stepdaughters Linda Johnson and Peggy Lewis, and stepson Rick Weaver (Karen). In addition, he leaves behind many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Tom’s devotion and love for every member of his very large extended family was incredible. He truly loved and cared for each and every one of his family.
A celebration of Tom’s life will take place this summer.