Obituary of Leland Thomas "Tom" Rusk

Leland Thomas "Tom" Rusk, 76, died April 1, 2020 in Ellicott, Colorado.He was born March 28, 1944 in Glendale, California.Tom grew up in Black Forest, Colorado. He helped his grandparents with the pony wheel on Pikes Peak. He raced stock cars and drove trucks all over the United States.Tom loved old tractors and collected several in series. As he drove around in his truck, he would see John Deere garden tractors "just sitting." Many times, he stopped to see if the owner wanted to get rid of them. Most generally, he was told to take them. He then brought them home and before long, they were running.He loved living in Ellicott, helping his wife, Marie, and keeping the place looking nice.Tom is preceded in death by his mother, Vera Ellett; and son, Jeff.He is survived by his wife of twenty-seven years, Marie; daughter, Monica; eight grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and his brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Cindy Ellett.A memorial service will be held later in the Spring.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Tom's memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association. diabetes.org/donate