Thomas "Tom" E. Grouling

Thomas “Tom” Grouling, 84, of Fishers, Indiana, passed away on December 5, 2024. He was born on June 9, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland, to parents, Charles Thomas Grouling and Anna Frances (Murk) Grouling.

Tom is survived by his loving wife, Marbeth (Emswiler) Grouling; daughter, Jennifer Grouling Snider, daughter-in-law Eva, and sister, Joanie (Grouling) Drimmel. He is also survived by Joanie’s children and grandchildren, and by cousins from the Baltimore area. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Anna J. Grouling. 

Tom was dedicated both to his family and his community. After high school, he graduated from the University of Baltimore with a B.A. in 1965. During his college years he became involved in the International Relations Club, the start of a decades-long commitment to working with international relations. Tom continued his education with an MA in English from the University of Kansas in 1967. He later completed a PhD in Higher Education Administration and Counseling from Kansas State in 1976.

After his MA degree, Tom taught English and advised foreign students at St. Benedict’s College (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, KS between 1967-1971. In 1970, he purchased the Skyway Motel in Atchison and moved his parents and sisters to the area to run the family business. He also met his beloved wife, Marbeth, in 1971 when she was teaching at Mt. St. Scholastica College, which then merged with St. Benedict’s. The two were married on June 6, 1972, and Tom moved to where Marbeth was then teaching in Manhattan, KS and pursued his doctorate. During 1971-1972, Tom also taught English at Leavenworth Penitentiary and later continued teaching in the prison system in Newton, IA.

In 1975, the Groulings moved to Des Moines, IA where Tom took a job as Dean of Students at Grand View College. Marbeth and Tom welcomed their only child, Jennifer in 1976. Tom became involved in the Council for International Understanding (now Iowa International Center) and took a position as their Executive Director in 1980. He worked part-time at Drake University as a foreign student advisor and became full-time as the Associate Director of the International Center in 1992. He also taught English as a Second Language (ESL) and business writing at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). He retired in 2012 and moved to Fishers, IN to be close to family in 2017. He became an active member of the Britton Falls community, participating in groups such as the Genealogy Club, Travel Club, and Wii Bowling League.

Throughout his life, Tom served his community through volunteering. In Des Moines, he served on the board of the Family Counseling Center, was appointed to the Iowa Sister State Commission, helped plan the first Martin Luther King Day celebration in Iowa, and was a lector and Minister of the Eucharist at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. He began reading the news for the Iowa Commission for the Blind on KDPS radio in 1983 and was active in organizing IRIS in 1987 to continue this work in the face of state budget cuts. He also served on the board of the National Council for International Visitors while director of the Council for International Understanding.

Tom was an avid writer. He published a novel about the space race, Project 12, Reminiscing, in 1962. He loved to travel and kept detailed travel logs of his journeys. A few years ago, Tom wrote a Storyworth book filled with rich stories from his life. Here he reflected on how each event in his life was connected and moved his life forward to new opportunities; his marriage to Marbeth being the most significant event of all. He ended his Reminiscing book with a line from a favorite poem, "Lycidas," by John Milton: "Tomorrow to fresh woods and pastures new."

Services for Tom will take place at a later date.

Memorial contributions in his name may be made to IRIS at https://iowaradioreading.org/donate/.