Gary Thomas (academic)

Thomas was raised in a rural community in northern California; his father was a sheep-shearer and farmer. He supported himself through college in a variety of jobs, including milking cows and driving a school bus. Although his parents were committed Mormons, Thomas considered himself an atheist. While at the University of California at Berkeley, Thomas was introduced to the political philosophy of socialism and considered himself a Trotskyist for the rest of his life. He taught in Ghana following his university studies for some years before returning to the United States to further pursue his academic career. A long-standing supporter of the arts, he supported the arts community in Newark NJ.

Thomas died New Year's Day 2008 after battling multiple myeloma. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Tedesco PhD, and four children: Katelin Thomas MPH, Ellie Thomas PT, Derek Thomas, and Jenna Tedesco PsyD; and four grandchildren: Gwyn Thomas Foley, Caleb Thomas Foley, Ahsaan Thomas Cauley, and Katelyn Elizabeth Tedesco-Musacchio.

• 'Missouri University of Science and Technology: Former Chancellor Gary Thomas dies at age 70' (archived)
• 'NJIT: NJIT Community Mourns Loss of Dr. Gary Thomas' (archived)

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