Born in KCK to George and Katie (Ozanich) Modrcin on August 21, 1937. Raised on Strawberry Hill and was a lifelong resident of the metropolitan area. Attended St John the Baptist grade school (class of 1951) and was a graduate of Bishop Ward HS (1955) in KCK. Attended Donnelly College where he received an Associate in Science degree in 1957. In1960 was drafted into the US Army where he was a medical corpsman serving with the 43rd MASH hospital in Uijongbo, Korea.

Tom found it engaging that the 43rd , after Army reorganization, was the renamed unit – and therefore a direct descendant of the MASH unit of later book and TV fame. After leaving the service he attended UMKC part-time, working his way through college while employed at Sealright in the Fairfax district of KCK. He finally earned a BS in Chemistry degree in 1968 and graduated as a member of the academic honor society Order of the Torch and Scroll. He returned to Sealright and worked full time as a Quality Contol Chemist before moving on to Bayercropscience in the east bottoms, then known as Chemagro. There he embarked on a 40 year career in the Research Department as a Formulation Development Chemist and in the Manufacturing Dept. as a Process Development Chemist. He retired in 2010. While at Bayer he was a member of the American Chemical Society. He had many interests arising from a love of reading, learning and travel. He especially loved the annual trips with his wife, Nancy, to Maine where she was born. He relished the local clam chowder and lobster stew and the awesome sights of the rocky Maine coast. He was an avid sports enthusiast and was a fixture on various company and military service fast pitch soft ball, basketball and tennis teams. He also enjoyed snow skiing, working out, jogging and in his later years, ballroom dancing. He supported the local sports teams at all levels, high school, college and professional. He loved reading about military history and found time to dabble in stringed musical instruments, guitar, banjo and ukelele. He was a member of the Strawberry Hill Ethnic Cultural Society. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Nancy, and brothers John, Joe, George and his sisters Bernice Resovich, Theresea Steele, and Catherine. He is survived by brother Steve and Sister Marie Loretta SCL, step daughters Dawn Mckenny Maxwell and Suzanne Mckenny Royal, his companion Beverly Flynn and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers donations to Bishop Ward High school.