Tom was born on April 12, 1948, in Grinnell, IA to Ada Pearl Smith and Carrol 'Bus' Owen Eames. He attended Grinnell Community School District and graduated in 1966 and later attended Iowa State University in Ames. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1968 and served during the Vietnam Conflict. He was employed at Swift and Company in Marshalltown, and the Ferguson Quarry near Ferguson. He also was self-employed for many years and recently he worked as a concrete finisher for Ray Evans Company of Tama, as an assistant welder for Pipeline Industry during the installation of the statewide pipeline project, and at EPC in Grinnell, and Manatts, Inc in Brooklyn. He retired due to ill health May of 2006. On June 30, 1998, he was united in marriage to Doris Ann Audas at the Church of God in Lynnville. Tom was a metal artisan whose works were displayed and sold at Farmhouse Gifts, Grinnell; Quarry Depot, Quarry; and the Kathy Deines Art Gallery, Marshalltown. He is survived by his wife, Doris Audas of Gilman; two sisters, Marjorie 'Cookie' Cope of Gilman and Josie (Dick) Roe of Gilman; one daughter, Buffy (Jarod) Roberts of Chelsea; 3 stepsons, Tony Lynch of Phoenix, AZ, Todd Lynch of Marshalltown, and Clay Jensen of Fayetteville, NC; one stepdaughter, Carrie Chizek of Marshalltown; one grandchild; 7 step grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. Memorials may be directed to the Thomas Eames Memorial Fund and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell.