Thomas A. Jatnieks

Dr. Thomas Ancis Jatnieks passed away at 8 o’clock in the evening on November 5, 2023, surrounded by family at his home in Weston, Wisconsin. He was 55 years old.

Tom was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in Rothschild, where he attended school and graduated from D.C. Everest in 1986. After spending three years in the Army – first at Fort Devens, Massachusetts and then at Fort Sill, Oklahoma – Tom studied at UW–Eau Claire and then at the University of Minnesota. Combining his love of animals and interest in medicine, he attended and graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. Tom worked in Amherst, Wisconsin and in Plover, Wisconsin before opening his own practice, the Weston Veterinary Hospital, in 2005. Throughout his career, Tom advocated for the respect and care of all animals, formed special bonds with his patients and their owners, and provided treatment with kindness, compassion, and love. Diagnosed with malignant rectal cancer in 2019, he finally had to stop practicing medicine in 2022 after three surgeries, several rounds of chemotherapy, and radiation.

Tom loved books, movies, board games, traveling, Latvian culture, Star Wars, astronomy, nature, and all living things. He never compromised his deeply held beliefs, especially in the rights of animals and protection of the environment.

Tom is survived by his wife Stephanie, his children Jānis (Riga, Latvia) and Laima (Minneapolis, MN), his parents Andrievs and Virginia (Rothschild), his brothers Daniel [Graciela] (San Jose, CA) and Steven [Virginia] (Fort Myers, FL), former wife Amanda Zaeska (Riga, Latvia), nephew Andrew and nieces Alyssa, Malorie, Stephanie, Felicity and Rebecca Jatnieks.

The family thanks Dr. Kratz at the UW and VA Hospital in Madison for his exceptional care and friendship throughout Tom’s difficult journey, and Aspirus Hospice Care for the loving care provided during Tom’s final months.

A memorial and funeral service will be held on Friday, November 17th with visitation at 2pm and service at 4pm. Services will be held at the Brainard Funeral Home and Cremation Center located at 5712 Memorial Ct, Weston, WI.

Memorials may be given to the Marathon County Humane Society or the Raptor Education Group, Inc of Antigo, both of which share Tom’s passion for the care of all animals.