Thomas Greenwood Wilson, 62, of Blacksburg died on June 6, 2020.
He was born on July 4, 1957, in Marion, Va., to James Franklin and Betty Lou Greenwood Wilson, and they preceded him in death. He is survived by his sister, Diane Wilson Catley and brother-in-law, Dennis Brian Catley;a niece, Jessica Ina Catley; and a nephew, Bryan Thomas Catley.
Tom graduated from Marion Senior High School. He received a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Concord University and a Master’s degree in educational administration from Virginia Tech.
After graduation from Concord, he served as band director, music teacher and assistant basketball coach with the Highland County, Va., public schools (1979-1981). After receiving his Master’s degree he went to work for the Virginia Tech Upward Bound and Talent Search programs, serving as counselor and assistant director and was named director of the programs in 1998. He retired from Virginia Tech in 2012. In retirement, he worked for Blacksburg Transit, then worked for Virginia Tech Undergraduate Admissions until May 2020.
Tom was passionate about educational opportunities for all students and worked through the programs to ensure that low-income and first-generation students in southwest and central Virginia had the opportunity to attend college.
He was recognized as a leader at the state and national levels with the federal TRIO programs. He twice served as president of the Virginia Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel, served two two-year terms on the executive board of the Mid-Eastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel, and in 2004, 2011 and 2012 was recipient of the Virginia Outstanding Service Award for service to the state and regional associations. Throughout the years he was a presenter, panel member, and moderator at state, regional, and national conferences.
He served as choir director at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church from 1987-2019. He also was known in the area for playing drums with a variety of local bands.
At Tech, Tom served on the steering committee for the Virginia Tech Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign. He served as faculty advisor for the Virginia Tech Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity at its founding, a role he maintained for over 10 years. He was an avid golfer and was an active fan of Virginia Tech and Concord University sports. A Golden Hokie, he was an active volunteer Hokie Representative and was a member of the Concord Mountain Lion Club.
A memorial service celebrating Tom’s life will be held at a later date at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Blacksburg. Visitation with the family will follow the service in the church fellowship hall. All will be invited to attend and share memories. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Luther Memorial Lutheran Church. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.
