Cover photo for Thomas E. Labey's Obituary
1941 Tom 2025

Thomas E. Labey

June 3, 1941 — July 27, 2025

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Thomas Edward Labey, age 84, of White Bear Lake, passed away July 27th, 2025.

Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Helen. He is survived by his wife, Maureen; his children, Tim (Anne), Todd (Javier), Ted (Jen), Gina (Rich), Danielle Litzau (Steve); along with stepson, Jeffrey Raymond; 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, his sisters, Nancy Spack and Joanne Labey; several nieces and nephews, along with his ex-wives, Carol LaBarre and Lori LaBey; and his dog, Harley.

Tom was a people person. He was born and raised in Frog Town, where he started his first business as Furniture King. From there, he moved on to the appliance business, which continued to grow. Many called him Mr. Maytag over the years; he always encouraged people to buy American-made, as he was a proud patriot.

Tom was the founding owner of A+ Plus Appliance. Later, a lifelong childhood friend, David Doepner, known as ‘Big D,’ joined him in the business. Eventually, they moved their business, A+ Plus Appliance, to the East Side of St. Paul in 1991. This allowed them to expand and focus on serving the Twin Cities. Tom stayed working 5 days a week, with some Saturdays in the mix, until he retired in September 2024.

In June of 2021, the city of St. Paul named June 4th Tom Labey Day, which meant the world to him. They gave him this recognition in honor of his service and dedication to the community. Tom sold and serviced appliances for over 50 years. He was well known throughout the entire Twin Cities.

Tom was always up for a good storytelling session, whether it be a funny joke, a fishing or golf tale, a good military story, or just a brief catch-up about family. His door was open, and there was always a customer sitting in the office chair just waiting to catch up with Tom.

As stated above, Tom recently retired, which was a difficult decision for him as he loved his customers, and they loved him. Multi-generations of families and businesses trusted Tom to guide them with their appliance needs, and he was honored to serve them. Customers begged him not to retire, some in tears, but always with hugs or a handshake. Customers said they didn’t know where they could go to get that personalized service they trusted with Tom, as it seems to be a fading trend, but it was what A Plus built its reputation on.

Tom served in the United States Navy from July 1st, 1958, to June 30th, 1964. He was proud that his ship, the U.S.S. Tanner (AGS-15), helped make the maps for the Persian Gulf.

A Celebration of Life for Tom will be held at 12 Noon Thursday, August 7 at Mueller-Bies Funeral Home - Roseville, 2130 N. Dale St. at County Rd B. Visitation will be prior to the service from 10 AM - 12 Noon. The service will be livestreamed starting at 12 Noon on this obituary page.

Join us after to continue to celebrate and reminisce about Tom’s life at the B-Dale Club, 2100 N. Dale St., Roseville, MN 55113.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Thomas E. Labey, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Upcoming Services

Visitation

Thursday, August 7, 2025

10:00am - 12:00 pm (Central time)

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Mueller-Bies - Roseville Chapel

2130 Dale St N, Roseville, MN 55113

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Celebration of Life

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Starts at 12:00 pm (Central time)

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Mueller-Bies - Roseville Chapel

2130 Dale St N, Roseville, MN 55113

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Luncheon/Gathering

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Starts at 1:00 pm (Central time)

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