Thomas M. Travis
Tom Travis, a member of the information technology staff for almost 25 years, died suddenly at home on January 18, 2015. He was 65.
Born July 29, 1949, in Troy, N.Y., he was the son of the late Floyd T. and Doris Salmon Travis. Tom graduated from Catholic Central High School in Troy and then earned an associate’s degree at Hudson Valley Community College. He later attended Sylvania Technical School for computer programming.
Tom started his Skidmore career as a computer hardware technician in 1986. He later became an user-services specialist for the information technology office. He retired in 2010.
He was known for his lifelong love of music, which included playing keyboards professionally for more than two decades. His Skidmore colleague and longtime friend Tom Marcotte said, “Just before Tom ‘came off the road’ for his new career at Skidmore, he turned down opportunities to join several headline acts of the era.”
Said Bill Duffy, Skidmore’s chief technology officer: “Tom truly loved the Skidmore community, and our community loved him. Trav had many friends among the faculty, staff, and students. He was always there to help, and always willing to go the extra mile. He was the real deal—you always knew where you stood with him. He was one of those guys who could—and loved to—take anything apart…and actually put it back together!” Bill added that Trav had “a very dry sense of humor and was very politically savvy and could have a discussion even if he did not agree with you. He was an outstanding keyboard player and loved the Hammond B-3 organ. He was a master when he sat down to play. He will be missed.”
Tom worked in Skidmore’s IT service during a period of significant growth. He was devoted to helping members of the campus community overcome the challenges of using new technological tools in their work.
Survivors include his wife, Christine Rose; brother Robert N. Travis (Tamzie) of South Carolina; brother-in-law Jerome C. Rose of Arkansas; and sisters-in-law Carolyn Sizemore (Joe) of Arizona as well as Cynthia Rose O’Connell and Cheryl Rose Barrows (Pete) of Massachusetts. Tom loved his lhasa apso dogs Dixie Lee and Kiku Rose, who also survive him.
Memorial donations may be made in Tom’s name to Donations, Angell Animal Medical Center at MSPCA-Angell, 350 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130.