Thomas Robert Varien, born on August 11, 1951, in Hastings, Minnesota, passed away September 14 at his home in Ramsey, Minnesota, at the age of 74. Tom is preceded in death by parents, Gayle Keene Wolf and Robert Charles Varien, and is survived by wife, Bonnie; stepsons, Cory and Wesley Brunson; his siblings, Steve (Joan) and Peggy; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Graduating from Hastings High School, Tom spent his early adult life living in Winona, Minnesota, and traveling extensively across the Southwest, Northwest, and Hawaii. His travels eventually lead him to move to Minneapolis in the early 1990s, where he met Bonnie and settled into a twenty-year career as a city bus driver for Metro Transit.
Tom, a creative and giving person, loved to help others and he had a knack for seeing possibilities in discarded treasures. In North Minneapolis, he became well-known for the free bicycle repair shop that he ran out of a shed for neighborhood kids, whom he also mentored and often fed sandwiches.
Tom will be remembered as someone who loved bicycles, listening to and playing music, and cooking. He spent much of his time collecting and tinkering with guitars and enjoyed tending to the garden at their home.
The family will hold a private memorial for Tom. www.kozlakradulovich.com“A Celebration of Life” 763-783-1100
