Thomas J. Nurmi

Thomas Jalmer Nurmi, born to Kathryn and Arvi Nurmi, in Carmel CA on
May 23, 1952, finished his tour on Earth on Dec 4, 2023. He is
survived by two daughters Rebecca Stump and Tricia Iest, his ex-wife
and dear friend Barbara Nurmi, two grandchildren Eliott and Roslyn
Iest, two sisters -Mari Paul and Kay Dimuro-Nurmi, and his nephew Tres
Dimuro.

Tom, known to many as Jalmer, Nervous Nurm, Nurmeister, Tòmas, and
Dad, spent his early years on the family farm on Manning and Nurmi Ave
in Reedley. He attended Riverview Elementary, followed by General
Grant Jr. High, and then Reedley High School, where he graduated in
1970.

He played viola in Jr and High school orchestra. Later, he played the
guitar for his church community. His love for music followed him
always. His last years found him with a blue tooth speaker turned all
the way up, sharing his favorite music with anyone within a 100 yard
radius. His tastes ran from classical to funk, from indie to worship
to country, and from rock to tex-mex.

Tom pushed many boundaries- drifting into drug and alcohol use, which
led to his relocating to southern California.  There, he met and
surrendered his life to Jesus. This new direction, opened up his heart
to a particular group of people. When he met those struggling with
drug and alcohol addictions, he was moved to help them. His style of
outreach went from the Haight/Ashbury district in San Francisco, to
Reedley, to Reno, to Palm Springs, and Oregon. He found and preached
to men who had lost their way, bringing them home to live and work,
before helping them enter the Teen Challenge program, where they had a
chance to find God and let Him re-direct their lives.

Tom met Barbara Lingo and wed in 1973. Together they continued
reaching out to those lost to drug addiction. In Reno Nevada, while
simultaneously co-pastoring a church called His Place, Tom began to
learn the construction trade. He started from the bottom up, as a
laborer at a truss-building facility.  After returning to Reedley for
a brief stint as a Farmers Insurance agent, they returned to Reno and
Tom found success working as a carpenter in construction. Soon after
he obtained his General Contractors license, and moved to Palm Springs
to start his own business- Nurmi Construction.

This led to the formation of “Camp Nurmi”. For all intents and
purposes, this name just solidified what he’d been doing all along -
finding those with a need to escape addiction and other problems,
bringing them home for dinner and sometimes monthly stays with the
family, and working to get them in programs like Teen Challenge, to
change their lives. His vision followed the family wherever they moved
– running a construction business and Camp Nurmi simultaneously,
reaching out and loving those who needed a hand up, providing
employment, and opportunities to change their lives.

Tom loved his family, animals, food, bizarre literature and events,
music, and God- not necessarily in that order.

We will celebrate his life at Cruising for Jesus Church on Dinuba Ave
in Reedley, on March 16 at 10:30am. Please join us for a feast in his
honor, following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Teen Challenge Reedley.