Thomas A. Kneisel

The unexpected and much dreaded final curtain call for Thomas A. Kneisel (Tommy/Rooster) happened on Monday, September 7. Tommy spent his last day on the job that he loved, with people that loved him. It is especially ironic that his last act was on a load out on Labor Day. He could never leave a job unfinished. Tommy spent his entire life involved in music and theatre, starting as a young child with his cousins (the Agosti twins) making horror movies in the basement of his aunt’s home. Because of those moments, he fell in love with production. Tommy’s best friend, Tim Wing, tried to convince him to play bass in a band because he “had the look.” Tommy had other ideas: He wanted to run sound. While he got the bass guitar, his whole trajectory changed once he got his hands on a sound board. While he was still in high school, Tommy took jobs running the lights and sound for live local performances. About two years after graduation, he had enough “street cred” and took his first official job as a Sound Engineer and Lighting Manager with Rock Island. He spent four years there before moving on to Flying Steel as a Sound Engineer, where he also managed the sound and lighting. While there, he took electronics courses at Rets Electronics in ’85. He moved on from Flying Steel to Last Savage, and from there to Taboo. Furthering his education at The Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Tommy received more intensive training in audio engineering. Not surprising to anyone who knew him, he left with a glowing letter of recommendation praising his technical abilities for being at the top of the class, and for his attitude and personal qualities. He was lauded him having everything it took to be successful in the “working environment.” Tommy was the bar to which others aspired in his profession. As an employee of more than 35 years at Great Lakes Sound and Lighting, a long-standing member of I.A.T.S.E. Local #24 (the Stagehands union), he was the spotlight that others were drawn to. The different venues, events, concerts, graduations, inaugurations, charities, and God know what else this man worked, are innumerable. If you attended a live music event anytime from 1979 until recently in and around Toledo to Detroit (and honestly across the country), part of your amazing experience was probably courtesy of him. Event organizers would breathe a sigh of relief when they saw his grumpy face arrive because they knew that no matter what the night might throw at them, the show would run smoothly. Things that were broken would magically “unbreak” themselves when he came over to take a look. If something really needed repair, there wasn’t a thing he couldn’t fix. He ensured that every show ran flawlessly for the crowd. He did so much to bring people together in joyful moments, inspiring community pride and comradery. How many times did you have a great experience at a concert and leave with a new friend? Far beyond his technical abilities was his empathy. He listened. He had an innate ability to discern what people needed from him, whether it was instruction, encouragement, guidance, or physical assistance. He’d repair your car, or your electrical problem. He’d teach you how to fix whatever you may have screwed up so you’d never make the same mistake again. He heard you, and he showed up. The number of people who have stories about how he helped them fix anything from their sink to their entire life is immense. The man had an ear for music, but he also heard all the things your heart cried out for that your lips may not have said. When you had his attention, you felt like you were the center of his whole world. Tommy wasn’t impressed by fame or fortune. He treated megastars and presidents no differently than the local band no one had ever heard of. He was just there to work, and make the amateur sound every bit as good as the professional. He also wasn’t big on authority, or constraint. If he wanted to do something, he was going to do it. He once hitchhiked all the way to California on a whim. He travelled all over the world for work and pleasure, but he especially loved Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, and seaside locales. He was a fan of boating, skydiving, off-roading, scuba diving, and restoring old cars. (He always had a Triumph in a state of “repair.”) Tommy was born in Turin, Italy on February 24, 1959. He was adopted and brought to the U.S. in 1960 at a little over a year old. His infancy was harsh and filled with neglect due to an overcrowded orphanage. He was very sick when he arrived Stateside. He was welcomed into a loving family with another adopted sister and given a Catholic education through grade school. He later convinced his mother to move him to public school, where he graduated from Start High School. His beginning may have imprinted on him in a way that is impossible to understand, and it made him the selfless, humble, simple, caring, protective, free spirted person he truly was. Tommy’s inner circle knew a different man than the public, curmudgeonly persona. His close friends and family have a hard time reconciling the man described by so many because he always had a smile at the ready, a laugh, a joke, a sentimental note or action. He was incredibly sweet, sensitive, and protective. His loss has rocked the community and left a hole larger than life in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Catherine Kneisel; his beloved sister, Mary Kay (Kneisel) Doherty; and his cherished pets Kattsy and Buddy. He will be deeply missed by his nieces, Lauren Doherty, Liza (Roby) Whitacre, Lindsey Edwards (Phil Paul); great nieces, Kiera Cole, Izzy Loe, Gabriella and Mia Whitacre, Elizabeth Paul; and great nephew, Zachary Paul. He had many special friends – far too many to name – but one of the most important to him was always Joan Vick. The family wants to express its deepest gratitude to Adam Weiss and Joe Gilreath, and especially to Todd and Julie Mitchell, for all that you did for him, and all the help you’ve provided. An extra special thanks goes out to the Valentine Theatre and its staff. Please join Tommy’s family and friends at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the Valentine Theatre (Toledo, OH) to celebrate this iconic local legend. The service is at 6 p.m., followed by a gathering in the lobby with food, refreshments, and a cash bar. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Project iAM/Acoustics for Autism and/or the Toledo Buffalo Soldiers, which are two causes that were close to his heart.

Thomas A. Kneisel

February 24, 1959 - September 7, 2026