Thomas Francis McKenna

Thomas Francis Aloysius McKenna shuffled off his mortal coil on April 6, 2026.

Many words have been used to describe Tom McKenna: Loud. Witty. Fiery. Dedicated. Passionate. Funny. As you’re about to learn, he loved intensely, whether it was his family and friends, music, college sports, the written word, naps, or the state of Indiana.

Tom was born in a small town — Madison, Indiana — to James and Loretta McKenna on January 30, 1946. With his older brother Jimmy, they made a family of four. Tom attended Pope John XXIII Elementary and Shawe Memorial High School (Go Hilltoppers). He kept Madison and the people he knew and loved there in his heart for his entire life.

After graduating from high school, Tom attended the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish), which became another place filled with people and traditions he loved for the rest of his life. Tom served in the student government and worked on student publications during his undergraduate years in South Bend. He made a group of friends (many of whom were also named Tom) who became fixtures in not just his undergraduate adventures, but in the big and small moments of his life after college.

Perhaps most importantly, Tom met Mary Ann O’Toole at an ND-Saint Mary’s College mixer in 1964. They married in 1968 and celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in August of 2025.

Tom’s education and career took him from Madison to South Bend and back again. After their wedding, he and Mary Ann moved to Madison, where they both taught at Shawe. Their first two children — Dylan Thomas and Amy Siobhan — were born in Tom’s hometown. Then, in 1971, Tom, Mary Ann, and the kids moved to South Bend so Tom could attend law school at Notre Dame. Even while studying and parenting toddlers, Tom found time to serve as the president of the Notre Dame Law School Student Bar Association.

After completing law school and passing the Indiana Bar, the family moved to Mishawaka and then Long Beach, Indiana, where he practiced law in several capacities. Two more children — Caitlin Clare and Nan Collins — arrived in Long Beach, where Tom and the new family of six spent countless hours on the beautiful beaches of Lake Michigan.

One last move to Carmel, Indiana in the early 80s settled Tom and his family in the home he would live in for more than 42 years. Tom and Mary Ann welcomed their fifth child — Molly Elizabeth — and the family was complete. In their neighborhood in Carmel, they made a group of friends who became like family. These friends saw each other through the joys, sorrows, and simple moments of everyday life.

This time in central Indiana brought Tom to his life’s work as a public servant for the state of Indiana. He led the Indiana Department of Commerce and held roles in the lieutenant governor’s and governor’s offices. Tom cared deeply about the state and the people who lived in it; he worked alongside many like-minded public servants to make Indiana a great place to live.

Tom served on the boards of the University of Southern Indiana, Martin University, the Friends of Shawe, and the Indiana Sports Corp. He sat on the advisory board for the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana. He also spent time volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Indianapolis.

In retirement, Tom found a love for travel with his children, especially to Europe. But he still traveled frequently to Madison and to South Bend to stay connected to the people and places he always loved.

If you take one thing away from this obituary, it should be that Tom was a passionate person who felt strongly and deeply about many people, places, and ideas. He loved Mary Ann dearly. He felt endless pride in his children and grandchildren. He was a loyal friend, whether he knew you from Madison, Notre Dame, the neighborhood, state government, or anywhere in between. Coaching a CYO basketball game was as exciting as watching an ND-USC football game. If your name appeared in any lyric of any song, he would sing that song to you. A good meal in good company meant the world to him. He believed in the life-changing power of rock and roll, especially anything by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and, of course, John Mellencamp. Social justice mattered to him. He was unapologetically himself. Laughter was everything, especially in the darkest times.

Tom was larger than life. The world is a little less loud and a little less funny without him. He’s going to leave a big hole in our lives.

Tom’s family would like to thank his caregivers — Oksana, Amanda, and Bill — for caring for Tom at home over the past two years. His family would also like to thank everyone at NeuroHope for their constant support and love.

Tom is preceded in death by his father, James J. McKenna, Sr., and his mother, Mary Loretta Collins McKenna; his brother James J. McKenna, Jr., and his sister-in-law Sally Stanner McKenna; his father-in-law Paul O’Toole and his mother-in-law Harriet Wilson O’Toole Duffy; his brother-in-law Paul O’Toole II and his sister-in-law Deanne Dempsey O’Toole; and countless friends and family: Wally, Joe E., Baby Earl, Sheila, Rita, Bill, Lori, and Durk.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann, and by their five children: Dylan McKenna and his wife, Drew; Amy Schneeberger and her husband, Mike; Caitlin Coffman and her husband, Matt; Nan Frient and her husband, Luke; Molly Inglish and her husband, Stephen; and 12 grandchildren: Jack, Finn, and Tyrone McKenna; Anne, Emma, and Catherine Schneeberger; Cree, Nolan, and Clare Coffman and Teagan Intermill; and Leo and Will Frient.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to NeuroHope (1300 E. 96th Street, STE 140, Indianapolis IN 46240; TIN:46-1842276) or the St. Vincent de Paul of Indianapolis Food Pantry (2500 Churchman Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46203; TIN: 37-1507632). Or, put on a record by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Carole King (“Tapestry,” specifically), Otis Redding, John Prine, the Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, Dire Straits (“Brothers in Arms,” specifically), Pete Seeger, and sing along loudly.

A Visitation will be held on Monday, April 13, from 4pm to 7pm, and additional Visitation on Tuesday, April 14, from 9:30am to 10:30am, at Flanner Buchanan - Carmel, 325 E. Carmel Drive, Carmel, IN 46032. A Funeral Mass will be on Tuesday, April 14, at 11am, at Our Lady of Peace Chapel, 9001 Haverstick Road, Indianapolis, IN 46240.