Thomas C. Cawley

Thomas Craig Cawley of Joliet, Illinois, passed away at the age of 77 on Friday, December 26, 2025.

Tom, the second oldest of nine children, was born in Eureka, Illinois, on October 9, 1948, to Dallas and Madeline (Fehr) Cawley. He graduated from Eureka High School in 1966 and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1970 and a master’s degree in social work from George Williams College in 1972.

He and Kathy (Gollier), his beloved wife of 55 years, met at Illinois Wesleyan, were married shortly after graduation in August 1970, and began their life together in Joliet, first in the Raynor Park neighborhood, before moving to their Cathedral-area home in 1976.

From 1972 to 2005, Tom served as a social worker for Joliet Public Schools District 86 and Joliet Township High School District 204, working at Joliet East High School until its closing in 1983, then at Joliet Central High School. Beyond his work as a counselor, he poured his energy into coaching, helping guide student‑athletes on the football fields at Joliet East and Joliet Central. He also coached girls’ basketball at Joliet East, including the spirited “Dwyer’s Flyers” teams that competed for state titles.

In 1984, shortly after moving from Joliet East to Joliet Central, Tom began a second job selling insurance and working with families to develop college savings plans. In 1986, he added a securities license and expanded his role in the financial planning business. After retiring from his position as a public‑school social worker in 2005, Tom joined Kathy at The Voyager Group, Ltd., where he served as Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, and Branch Administrator until 2025. He and Kathy also established The Voyager Group Endowment Fund through The Community Foundation of Will County, which makes grants to local charitable projects involving children and youth.

Tom gave generously of his time and talents to his community. He was a founding member and long‑serving officer and director of the Cathedral Area Preservation Association (CAPA), working tirelessly to preserve and promote one of Joliet’s historic neighborhoods. He served in leadership roles at Joliet’s First Presbyterian Church, collaborating with pastors and the congregation to steward the church’s message, outreach, and fellowship. He also volunteered as a Big Brother, supporting and mentoring young people across Joliet.

An enthusiast of historic home restoration, Tom took great pride in the careful renovation of his and Kathy’s American Foursquare home and their Voyager Group farmhouse office building. He also worked with friends and neighbors on other preservation projects. Music was another one of Tom’s great joys. He appreciated most genres and loved to sing, regularly adding harmony in his rich baritone to hymns at church and songs on the radio. He and Kathy were members of The New People, a vocal ensemble that performed in the Joliet area during the 1970s and early 1980s, and every now and then at parties, he could be found next to the piano, singing along to Kathy’s accompaniment. Tom also loved to travel, and over the years he and Kathy visited many destinations across six continents. He cherished those shared adventures and the chance to learn from the people and places he encountered.

Those who knew Tom remember his deep love for family and friends (and the Chicago Cubs and Bears), his unfailing support when someone needed a hand, and a laugh that could fill a room. He was a great listener who took a sincere interest in the lives of those he met and knew and who was always willing to spend whatever time was required to be there for others. He was an active, practical, and creative problem‑solver who worked with people to build solutions on consensus. He had empathy and compassion for others, demonstrated by the genuine respect he had for those he encountered, with whom he was acquainted, and knew well. These traits, together with his strong sense of humor and interpersonal skills, suited him well in his roles as a counselor and advisor, friend and sibling, father and husband.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy; their son, Kip Cawley, and his wife, Susan; their daughter, Whitney Bost, and her husband, Luke; their grandchildren, Gillian Lee, Denison Cawley, and Norah and Kellan Bost; his sisters, Connie Lundby, Georgia Cawley (Joe Barry), Janet Cawley (David Stern), Lynn (Joe) McMenamin, and Carol (Bob) Bally; his brothers, Jeff Cawley, Mitch (Sherry) Cawley, and Brad (Troy) Cawley‑Hamm; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Joliet on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a celebration of life at The Victorian Ballroom on the Jacob Henry Mansion Estate, 15 Richards St., Joliet. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Tom’s name to The Community Foundation of Will County Voyager Group Endowment Fund or First Presbyterian Church of Joliet.