MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Tom Drill, known throughout the Lakeshore community as "Mr. Manitowoc," has passed away. Drill was a familiar face at community events, fundraisers, and Salvation Army bell-ringing efforts for decades.
Watch the full broadcast here:
Drill was born and raised in Manitowoc. He graduated from Lincoln High School and later studied education at what is now UW-Oshkosh before returning to the Lakeshore, where he established himself as a beloved community figure.
Salvation Army Captain Jonathan Tamayo first met Drill in 2011. He said Drill's famous Salvation Army hut downtown became like a second home for Mr. Manitowoc.
"He's such an iconic man full of love and character and just joy," Tamayo said.
"He was able to stop traffic and help people just give. People have recognized and loved him for years," Tamayo said.
Drill raised thousands of dollars every year for the Salvation Army. Tamayo said the organization hopes to bring the hut back this Christmas season.
"We want people to ring in his honor, just give and remember him because that was dear to his heart, his love for people, that's what he cared about, people," Tamayo said.
People who reached out to me shared similar stories, saying Drill remembered their kids, their families, and even their birthdays and anniversaries.
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels remembered Drill since he was a kid and reflected on what made him so rare.
"Every volunteer opportunity I showed up for as mayor he was there," Nickels said.
"You talk to anyone they'll say he knew your parents name, your kids name, your spouses name," Nickels said.
"He remembered my first election night, he even remembered the number of votes I got," Nickels said.
"If there was a need, if there was something happening to help out someone else, you saw him there. He greeted you with that smile and that big handshake or a hug," Nickels said.
"It's very rare to find someone like a Tom Drill in any community, each one has one but it's usually one or two that anyone you ask who's the one volunteering? You can all think of names in your community, ours is Tom Drill," Nickels said.
The city of Manitowoc is working on ideas to honor Drill and his legacy.
"We are going to roll out some ideas here to always be reminded to be a Tom Drill," Nickels said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
