Tom Nehring
Sept. 3, 1947-Dec. 30, 2017
Tom Nehring, 70,
Bismarck, died Dec. 30,
2017, unexpectedly at
home. A memorial ser-
vice will be held at 10:30
am Wednesday, Jan. 3, at
Bismarck Funeral Home.
Visitation will take place
one hour prior to the ser-
vice. Cremation has taken
place.
Thomas Robert Nehring
was born in Bowbells on
September 3, 1947 to
LaVern “Emil” and Inez
Nehring. The second of
seven children, Tom’s
childhood was peppered
with high jinks straight
out of a Little Rascals ep-
isode. A standout football
player at Bowbells High
School, Tom went to
Minot State on a football
scholarship before
volunteering for the US
Army. He spent two years
in Army intelligence be-
fore being honorably
discharged. Returning to
the US, he moved to
Washington state, marry-
ing Mary Lou Berg, his
first wife, with whom he
had his first son, Troy.
After returning to North
Dakota, Tom attended the
University of North Dako-
ta while working full-time
as an EMT. In Grand
Forks, Tom met his
second wife Brenda Blazer
with whom he had two
sons, Paul and John. In
1984, he moved with his
family to Bismarck, where
he lived until his death.
Tom had a long career
in healthcare with a wide
variety of experiences in
emergency medical ser-
vices, hospital, and clini-
cal administration. He
was a driving force for the
advancement of rural and
emergency medicine in
North Dakota. He helped
found the North Dakota
Medical Emergency Ser-
vices Association, serving
as its first president. He
became one of the first
Nationally Registered
Paramedics in the state –
perhaps the job he most
loved. Tom retired in
2017 as the Director of the
Division of Emergency
Medical Systems within
the North Dakota Depart-
ment of Health.
Tom loved fishing,
hunting, experimenting in
the kitchen, and golfing
with his sons. In his later
years, he enjoyed spend-
ing time with his
grandchildren who all
knew him lovingly as
Papa Tom. Tom’s short
stature was more than
made up for by his out-
sized personality, enter-
taining family and friends
with his jokes and stories
(some more true than oth-
ers).
Tom will be deeply
missed by his children,
Troy (Sarah), children
Cooper and Emily of Seat-
tle, Washington; Paul (Ju-
lia Chapman) of Jersey
City, New Jersey; and
John (Samantha Brock-
man), children Mabel and
Marshal of Bozeman,
Montana; brother
Lawrence (LeeAnn) Nehr-
ing, Cynthia (Jim) Gallier,
Randall (Debbie) Nehring,
David (Jeri) Nehring, Re-
becca (Lyndon) Nelson,
Kathleen (Doug) Beard;
his former spouse and
caring friend Brenda
Blazer, Bismarck; and
numerous nieces and
nephews.
Tom was preceded in
death by his parents, Emil
and Inez Nehring, and
former spouse Mary Lou
Berg.
In lieu of flowers,
memorials may be given
to two organizations close
to Tom’s heart, the Rural
EMS Association Founda-
tion, 1622 E. Interstate
Ave, Bismarck, ND 58503,
or the American Heart As-
sociation, North Dakota
chapter, 1005 12th Ave-
nue SE, Jamestown, ND
58401.