Passed away Thursday June 19, 2025, at his family home in Vancouver

Cause of death was congestive heart failure.

Born June 17, 1944, in Chicago, IL to Matthew J Kaspar and Anne Elizabeth (Barney) McCarthy.  When he was 10, he and his parents left Chicago to follow his sister, Anne and her family to the West Coast.  After many moves and his mother's death four days after his 13th birthday, he and his dad moved to Eugene for his last three years of high school.  He graduated from St. Francis High School in Eugene, OR.  Attended St. Martin's College for 2 years, graduated from Seattle U and joined the Air Force January 4, 1967, to October 7, 1968.  He received an MBA from the University of Oregon after the Air Force.

Tom met his bride, Sharon Lee, in high school, and they got married on September 11, 1965.  They share two daughters – Lara and Kristen, raised in Eugene, Oregon.  Lara married Paul Fulwiler, and they have two sons – Sam and Jack of Sherwood, Oregon.  Kristen married Robson Fraser, and they have two sons – Max and Alec of Camas, Washington.  Tom is very passionate about his family and would do anything for them.  He kept in close touch with each of them and was their biggest cheerleader.  All eight of them.

Tom's other love was football.  He coached at the high school level as an avocation for a total of about 35 years.  He loved everything about it-the culture, coaches, strategy, and especially the kids.   How he loved to watch them grow to be the young men they eventually became by the time they graduated.  They were his kids, too.

During his life, besides football and family, he enjoyed golf, tennis, cooking, travel, was a Rotarian, participated in a program called Choices at Kentwood HS to mentor boys to graduate and become the young men they were meant to be.  He would love to sit in a café and talk to strangers when traveling.  He was passionate about life.

Tom's business career was spread over many areas from investments, inventory control consultant to Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneur, CEO for a wholesale company, and a contract project manager at Boeing and Microsoft.

He was raised Catholic and a parishioner at St James Proto Cathedral in Vancouver at the time of his death.  Although he appreciated some of the changes made at Vatican II, he preferred the old-style Latin Mass and traditions.  He had old fashioned ideas about the liturgy and thought some of the new styles brought into the Mass were not appropriate.  He sometimes listened to Gregorian Chant and had a high respect for the monks and their lives.

Besides his wife, two daughters, sons-in-law, four grandsons, he is also survived by his brother-in-law, Terry Lee; nieces Alexis Lee, Ariel Lee, Kathleen Degarmo; nephews Kelly Quirke, Matthew Quirke, and Kevin Quirke; and Golden Retriever, Maverick.

He is predeceased by his sister, Anne Quirke and brother-in-law, Jack Quirke, and their daughter, Anne (Susan) Grove.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St James Proto Cathedral in Vancouver, WA at 2:00 July 23, 2025, with a reception to follow.

His inurnment will be at the Vancouver Barracks National Cemetery for a family only ceremony on July 21, 2025

In lieu of flowers, a Memorial donation can be made in Tom's (Coach Kaspar) name to

The Tyrone Snowden Woods Wrestling Foundation

PO Box 297

Oregon City, OR 97045

Many thanks to friends, family and neighbors during the time of his illness and after his death.  Your love was felt all day every day.  And thanks to Eden Hospice for answering the phone day and night.  Your patience is a glowing virtue.

One thing I learned through this experience is if someone has made a difference in your life, reach out and tell them.  It will make a difference in theirs.

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