A La Porte County Life in The Spotlight: Tom Prichard

A well-lived life and career as a longtime bricklayer has helped retiree Tom Prichard reflect on his career and all that he is grateful for.

Prichard comes from a whole family of bricklayers, so it’s no surprise he entered an apprenticeship after graduating from Chesterton High School. He vividly remembers his first day on a job site, surrounded by members of his family.

“There were seven bricklayers with the last name Prichard on that job. I was the youngest one. My grandfather was the foreman. My uncle was the contractor. My dad, cousins, and uncles worked there, too,” Prichard said. “I was lost and I couldn’t do anything right. My grandpa told me, ‘You’re going to tear that down, and you’re going to learn to do it right.’ So I learned. Working with all my relatives, they really took care of me. They wanted you to learn the right way, and it paid dividends because, in the long run, I knew pretty much anything I wanted to do, I could go do.”

From there, he traveled to work sites all across the country since work was slim around the Midwest during the winter months. Even though he hated to leave his family, Prichard took a lot of pride in his work.

“My uncles, my dad, my grandpa, they were excellent craftsmen. I wanted to be like them, so I pressured myself a lot. I was my own worst critic. I’d get on with a piece of work, and I said I could do a little better, and I’d be upset with myself for a day,” Prichard said.

In 1976, at just 24 years old, he built his own house with the help of his father and other members of his family. It was remodeled by the same craftsman in 1993.

For 10 years, he was also a general foreman and superintendent in the U.S. Steel.

He retired in 2006, but soon found he still wanted to keep himself busy, which is why he decided to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity after seeing an ad on Facebook.

“I had the greatest time with the people that were there. Everyone’s got a great attitude. We work as hard as you want to, or as little as you want to,” Prichard said. “A hard day’s work is a real rewarding experience for me. I know that sounds crazy, but the harder I worked, the better I felt when I went home.”

When he’s not helping out with Habitat a few days a week, he’s taking part in one of his many hobbies.

In his basement, he has a woodshop where he loves to make furniture. He trains Labrador Retrievers and goes waterfowl hunting, and every morning he makes sure to exercise for at least an hour and a half. Of course, he loves spending time with his four kids, 13 grandkids, and three great-grandkids.

He jokes that his friends refer to him as “the busiest retired guy ever.”

Prichard believes his hardworking spirit comes from his father and grandfather, to whom he attributes much of his success. He’s grateful they pushed him to be better. That’s why Prichard makes sure to grab coffee with his father every week.

Ultimately, Prichard is very grateful for all that he’s been given and wants to pay it forward.

“I think that’s what makes me try to give back, because I’ve been blessed, and if I can help somebody else out, that’s what I want. That’s how I want to be remembered,” he said.