Born April 8, 1948
Amsterdam, New York
Died July 28, 2025
Helena, Montana
After seven years of fighting to recover from severe spinal degeneration and paraplegia, Thomas Alan Yager died unexpectedly on July 28, 2025. Tom was born April 8, 1948 to Christopher Yager and Jeanne Salak Yager in Amsterdam, NY. He had four brothers: Douglas Lasher, Barrett Lasher, Micheal Yager, and Robert Kravis. Tom graduated in 1966 from WH Lynch High School in Amsterdam NY, and in 1970 from Syracuse University and SUNY College of Forestry. His father and uncle instilled a love of farming and deep satisfaction from growing and harvesting crops (when all went well). Tom was inspired throughout his life by his father, from whom he learned extensive mechanical and building skills, which he, in turn, passed on to his children (along with some rules about physics).
Tom lived his life as a father, a forester, a farmer, and a friend to all. He fathered 2 children with Karen Rounds Yager: Erik Yager and Kristen Yager. He married Janet Kennedy Mack in 1992, and was stepfather to Katherine Mack and Corey Mack. He was highly respected in the wood-products industry as he made improving the hardwood forests of Vermont and New York his life’s work. After graduation from college, he spent one year with International Paper Co. and then 50 years with The A. Johnson Co. of Bristol, VT as their Senior Forester.
Tom and Janet bred and raised Morgan horses, hay, and Christmas trees on their farm in Waltham, VT for 30 years before selling it and moving to the Helena area of Montana in 2021. Tom served on the Mt. Abraham School Board in Bristol for 15 years before moving to Waltham, where he served as Lister and delegate to the Addison County Regional Planning Commission for 18 years. Tom loved to play and watch basketball (Go SU!), hunt, fish, ride horses, work with his tractor, build stone walls, and to compete with their home-bred Morgans on the regional and national level with his wife and children.
Tom’s hard work and determination showed in everything he did, including his recovery from paraplegia. The day he died, he reached his goal of successfully walking 20 feet in the PT hallway at St. Peters Hospital without any walking aids. We know he was extremely grateful for the years of help and support he received from Dale Koch, Mary Beth Stevens, and his entire recovery team to reach his recovery goal, and was so grateful and appreciative of his friends and neighbors in Vermont and Montana. Tom is deeply loved and missed by his wife Janet of Clancy, MT; brother Bobby; children Erik (Jacki), Katherine, and Corey (Faye); six grandchildren Rachel (Jake), Samantha (Christian), Emma (Taylor), Ali, Emmett and Audrey; and great-grandson Roman.
