Jim Blair - Utah State University

Tom has been a great friend and associate of mine for many years. When I joined the faculty in 1979 Tom had been Department Head for one year. One of the traditions he established was to have faculty retreats at the Zanavoo Restaurant. He would invite us all to come using some form of a theme. One of the first themes he used was Camelot. He invited us all to come to the retreat and signed his name as king. From that time forward he was always referred to as the King. These retreats would last for two-days and we would have a chance to get to know one another and to formulate goals for the department for the coming year. Tom always used stories, jokes, and themes to tie his ideas together and make our times memorable. In large measure he was the glue that made the department stick together when times were tough. One year we came to the retreat with the music "Don't Worry, Be Happy" that was a year when the legislature had cut our funding and all of felt frightened and worried, we made it through thanks to his leadership and willingness to work with the Dean and other departments.

Tom found a way to be on the building committee and finally became the chair of this committee. The money for the renovation of the Com D department was always at the bottom of everyone's list of priorities, but when he became chair of the committee he, after a couple of years, was able to move the renovation of the building up the priority list until it became one of the two top priorities of the university. Once we got a million dollars from the legislature for the building, it was soon discovered that this was not enough. He then worked with the Lillywhite family, with Jay Jensen, to secure additional funding from this family. Thanks in large measure to Tom, and his leadership skill, we were able to get a building that is serving us better than many of us would ever have imagined.

One year Tom and I were accepted to present to a regional meeting in Hawaii. We decided to extend the time there and took our wives with us. Tom had purchased and new two-piece video camera (the latest thing in technology). We had to wheel the recorder around on a cart it was so big. We rented a car and drove to the other side of the Island. As he drove along, he leaned out the window of the car and took pictures. Carol and my wife frequently had to tell Tom to keep his eye on the road. But there were so many beautiful sights to see and he wanted to take pictures of them all, so he just couldn't resist taking pictures off to one side or the other. The car tended to weave back and forth as he took pictures.

My memories of Tom are of a person who cared. He cared about his family, his membership in the church, his profession, and the department. Because he cared, I think it helped all of us care more for each other and for the students and clients we served. I never left him without feeling better, uplifted and more optimistic. I will miss him but I will carry with my many memories for the remainder of my life.