W. Thomas Thach Jr. ’59

William Thomas Thach Jr. died July 1, 2014. He was 77.

Tom was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., Jan. 3, 1937, to Mary Elizabeth Edwards and William Thomas Thach ’21, the oldest of four children. He graduated from Cassidy School and after earning his bachelor’s degree at Princeton, graduated from Harvard Medical School. Tom married Emily Otis June 12, 1963, and they had three children. They divorced in 1980.

Tom was a pioneering researcher on the function of the cerebellum, a part of the brain responsible for coordination of movement. Tom was recognized internationally for his scientific contributions. He and his brothers all worked at Washington University.

Tom loved hiking, camping, canoeing, hunting, reading literature and poetry, and playing music with family, friends, and postdocs in his band, Taum Sauk.

He is survived by his siblings, Bob ’61, Brad ’64, and Maychai Brown; his children, Sarah, Will, and Scott; and three grandchildren. Memorial donations may be sent to: The Peter Halstead Hudgens Award, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 1247, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105.