Thomas Dwayne Borta of Houston, Missouri, formerly of Wonder Lake, Illinois, was welcomed to Heaven by Jesus with open arms on Oct. 16, 2025. Tom, known by his family nickname, Tim, was born to Thomas and Edna (Hoffman) Borta on Aug. 23, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois. At 13, he started working for the Sun Times Newspaper, delivering papers to newsstands. Then, in high school, he was given the opportunity to work at Highway Insurance Co. He graduated in 1962 from Wells High School and attended several junior colleges, including IBM school, where he learned board wiring of Electronic Accounting Machines, which launched his 35-year career in computers. While working at Highway, he met the love of his life, Merriel Jo Best, and they married on June 27, 1964, in Marshall, North Carolina. During their 61 years of marriage, they were blessed with son, Darrell Borta and wife Glorianne, and daughter, Lauren (Borta) Reith and husband Brett; five grandchildren, Francesca, Le’Tasha, Brett Jr. and wife Bethany, Tiffanie and Nickolas, and five great-grandchildren, Kadence, Kylie, Connor, Savannah and Jaylynn.
In 1965, he started working for Allstate Insurance Company in the TAB Department, where he was promoted to Computer Operations Manager and then to Computer Control Manager. After 28 years, he retired as a systems consultant specializing in Data Center Disaster Recovery and Business Resiliency Planning, where he founded the Business Resiliency Professionals Association (BRPA) and served two terms as president. Allstate honored him with two prestigious awards: The Good Hands Award and The Chairman’s Award. Throughout the years, he served as a member of the McHenry County Head Start Program, Allstate’s Helping Hands Program and trustee of their Homeowners’ Association.
After retiring from Allstate, he served as vice president of cremations for Justin Funeral Home, collections manager for First Midwest Bank, and he and Merri were vice presidents for Planet Hospital. He even raised cattle.
In his spare time, he served 18 years with the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District as the scuba dive team leader, one of the first two paramedics in the district, and for McHenry/Western Lake County, one of their first paramedics, and served on its review board. He retired as assistant chief, all while earning his pilot’s license.
He spent the next 10 years as a fire protection district trustee and elected treasurer. He believed his greatest accomplishment was lowering the district tax rate several times.
In 1999, he and Merri moved to their farm in Houston, Missouri. There, he served five years as Texas County Emergency Planning Committee chairman, more recently as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in South Central Missouri, and enjoyed Christian fellowship as a member of Community Crossroads Church in Raymondville. He enjoyed collecting music recordings, playing his accordion and keyboard, bowling, playing cards with friends and square dancing. He and Merri loved to travel and visited all 50 states, parts of Central America, the Caribbean and parts of Germany and India. Their dream trip was traveling in their motor home throughout Alaska and Canada.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Earline; and brothers, Ronald, Delmar and James.
Funeral services are at noon Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in the Community Crossroads Church of Raymondville, Missouri. Visitation will be held the same day from 11 a.m. until the time of the service.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in Prairie Vine Cemetery of Morocco, Indiana. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville / St. Robert.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Tom’s honor to CASA of South Central Missouri.