Thomas Pickert

Thomas Roger "Tom" Pickert devoted his life to family, fair play and the service of others. Born in Blue Springs, Missouri, he was the fourth of six children and grew up in a household where community and faith mattered. Tom excelled academically — graduating Archbishop O’Hara High School in 1996 and earning dual degrees in French and philosophy from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. He broadened his studies with semesters in France, including time at the Sorbonne, before earning his law degree from the University of Kansas in 2004.

Tom built a legal career marked by tenacity and compassion. After clerking and working for other firms, he helped found Fowler Pickert and later joined partners to form Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger. He focused his practice on representing people harmed by medical negligence and long-term care abuse, earning professional recognition such as being named “Best of the Bar.” Colleagues remember him as principled, hard-working, and committed to helping clients who needed an advocate.

Outside the courtroom Tom was an athlete and an adventurer. A lifelong participant in sports — from martial arts and rugby to yoga and golf — his greatest passion was running. He completed numerous marathons in elite time ranges and qualified on his first attempts for both half and full Ironman World Championship events. That same determination and discipline were visible in how he raised his family and supported friends.

Above all, Tom took pride in the life he built with his wife, Emily, and in being a devoted father to their two young sons. Family, friendships, and a wide community of colleagues were central to who he was. Those who knew him recall his quick smile, thoughtful humor, and steady presence.

A public memorial was held in November 2017 in Kansas City. In lieu of flowers, Tom’s family asked friends to consider contributions to a memorial fund to help provide for his sons’ educations and to causes that reflect the more peaceful, just world he hoped to leave for them. He is remembered not only for his accomplishments but for the warmth, care, and sense of justice he brought to every part of his life.