Abby Nadeau
Staff Writer

The city of Forest Lake lost of its most ìfun-lovingî residents on Wednesday, Dec. 13 due to a traffic accident in northwestern Iowa.

Thomas L. Mordorski, 64, of Forest Lake, died when the vehicle he was driving collided with another along Highway 110 in Storm Lake, IA.

Mordorski, a sales manager for Thomas Precision Machining Inc., traveled throughout the Midwest visiting meat processing plants. Thomas Precision Machining Inc. rebuilt and refurbished many machines for the meat processing companies in the Midwest.

His ìbest and closestî friend for the last 35 years, Jerry Parent, said that Mordorski was ìone of the most Christian, fun-loving people,î he knew.

ìHe made friends no matter where he was,î Parent said. ìIf he thought anything bad he would never say it out loud or in public. He just kept it to himself.î

Parent, who was a pallbearer at the burial on Monday, Dec. 18, stated that Mordorski was an active sportsman.

ìHe played softball and a lot of boating sports like water skiing,î Parent said. ìHe was on the lake and took his children out on the lake to teach them the sports too.î

During the winter months Parent said Mordorski could be seen driving around on his snowmobile.

Mordorski helped out with the snowmobile races back when Forest Lake used to hold the Governorís snowmobile races.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held for Mordorski on Monday, Dec. 18 St. Peterís Catholic Church. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Memorials are preferred to the family.

The Accident

According to the Buena Vista County Sheriffís Office, Mordorskiís vehicle collided with another vehicle while traveling on Highway 110 in Storm Lake.

Mordorski was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in the second vehicle, Lona Swain, 74 of Storm Lake, was also pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the second vehicle, Milton Swain, of Storm Lake, was ìtransported with injuries to the Buena Vista County Regional Medical Center,î according to the county press release.

The release also stated that the ìcause of the accident remains under investigationî by the Buena Vista County Medical Examinerís Office and the Iowa State Patrol.

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