Walker Atta Van Thomas ’34

Walker "Tommy" Thomas, an executive with Allstate Insurance Co. for 25 years before he retired in 1972, died May 16, 1995. Before Allstate, his career included, in his words, "auto insurance with GM, underwriting, airplane manufacturing, and machine shop ownership." "Retirement," he wrote a classmate last year, "is still the best way to enjoy this world, particularly if it's with the right person." In Tommy's case, the right person was Louise Barney, whom he married in 1981 after the death of his first wife, Virginia MacLaren. For the last several years Tommy and Louise, who lived in Attleboro, Mass., since their marriage, spent winters in Florida, where they owned a condominium until they sold it last year.

Tommy, who was captain of Princeton's swimming team in 1933-34, took up golf in his later years. One of his main interests, he wrote in 1959, was to break 80. He did it first in 1972, and did it again last year. "So I'm content," he said.

Surviving, besides Louise, are a son, a daughter, three stepdaughters, and nine grandchildren. To them we offer our sincere sympathies.

The Class of 1934