Thomas B. Catron III

Thomas B. Catron III



Thomas Benton Catron III died peacefully at home at age 98 on May 1, 2020 after a life well lived and dedicated to his family and to the Santa Fe community. He was the son of Fletcher A. Catron and Carolyn Updike Catron (Bergere).

Tom grew up and went to grade school in Santa Fe and, after his parents' divorce, in Los Angeles during the school year with his mother and beloved stepfather Antonio Luna Bergere. He attended Black Foxe Military Institute, then New Mexico Military Institute for high school. While at NMMI, he began a lifelong friendship with one of his instructors, author Paul Horgan. Tom attended Stanford University in 1940 where he fell in love with a beauty in his freshman English class, June Ellis. That romance continued for decades, and Tom and June celebrated their 74th anniversary just four days before his death.

Tom enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served in Italy during WWII, in field artillery and as an Army correspondent. It was there that he was introduced to opera in Naples by his friend Gene Hagstrum, and they attended every opera they could as the troops moved north. His love of opera and music in general gave rich meaning to the rest of his life.

Upon his return from Italy, Tom and June were married in San Francisco in 1946. After graduating from Stanford University, Tom attended Stanford School of Law and, upon completion, moved to Santa Fe with young sons Fletcher and Stephen. Daughter Peggy was born soon after. Tom joined the Catron law firm on the Plaza, started by his grandfather in 1867, the oldest law firm in New Mexico. During his 67 years at the firm, he practiced with his father, his uncle, his brother John S. 'Bud" Catron, his son Fletcher, and his granddaughter Julia. Tom retired from the practice of law in December 2018 but continued working until this March.

In addition to being an admired attorney, he was active in legal and community affairs as a young man, including: president of the Santa Fe County Bar Association, Assistant City Attorney, attorney for Santa Fe Public Schools, Santa Fe district chairman of the Boy Scouts of America, second president of the Rio Grande Symphony Board, special gifts division chairman of the United Way, and board member on the Fairview Cemetery Association.

Tom's lifelong commitment to cultural and civic activities in the City he loved so much began early. In 1956, at age 34, Tom had a fateful meeting with John Crosby and 4 other Santa Fe business leaders. Crosby proposed creating an opera company in Santa Fe and asked Tom to be the lawyer for the new venture. Tom jumped at the chance although it seemed like a crazy idea to many. Tom was fond of recounting the occasion on which John called from New York in early 1957 and simply asked Tom to listen. Through the phone, Tom heard the initial rehearsal for Madame Butterfly, the first Santa Fe Opera production. At that point, he knew that the Opera would actually happen. In the early years, he and June would make calls to people listed in the Santa Fe phone book to sell tickets to performances. They have attended every opening night but one, for their granddaughter's wedding on the East Coast, and two or more performances of every Santa Fe Opera production since 1957. He served continuously on the SFO Board, holding every Board office including President and Chairman, until his death.

In 1962, Tom's love of history and art made him the right person to lead the creation of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, and he served as its Chairman for 26 years and on the Board until his death. Prior to the Foundation, state museums had no means to solicit donations or acquire art. The Museum Foundation became the engine for contributions, acquisitions, collections, exhibitions, and education for the New Mexico museum system. Tom is credited with securing the donation of the Alexander Girard 100,000 piece folk art miniature collection to the Museum of International Folk Art. He was honored beyond measure in 2019 when the Foundation dedicated its new administration building as the Thomas B. Catron III Building. He was also a director and vice president of the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, which operates the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and a founding director of the Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry.

In 1972, he helped organize Santa Fe's Capital Bank (eventually acquired by Bank of America) because he felt the City needed a bank with a personal connection to its clients. The bank became Santa Fe's largest bank, through the efforts of his friend Ike Kalangis and fellow Board members, and Tom served as Chairman of its Board for 20 years.

In 2007, Tom was proud to be co-nominated by both the Museum Foundation and the Opera to be named a Santa Fe Living Treasure by the Living Treasure organization that honors elders who have generously served the community. In 2012, Tom was honored with the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts for his significant lifelong contributions to the cultural life of New Mexico.

In addition to his legal and civic commitments and his devotion to his family, Tom was an avid reader, music lover, raconteur, hiker, and traveler, and was a musical artist in his own right when it came to whistling. His life was full of interesting stories such as having a bit part in a Shirley Temple movie, patting Seabiscuit in his stall, dancing with Ginger Rogers, swimming with Rita Hayworth, securing an audience with the Pope as a GI, and the time Georgia O'Keeffe tried to "borrow" an axe head from June and Tom's home.

Tom loved the outdoors, beginning with fishing trips and duck and quail hunting with his father and later adventures with his friends and children. Tom, Bud Kelly, Dee Lord, John Dillon, and several other friends formed the Pajarito Hiking Club and roamed the local mountains. Beginning in 1958, Tom shouldered packs with Fletcher and Stephen and took them on Boy Scout backpacking trips ranging from two days to 11 days in length, including "survival" camps with no food, and winter camps on snowshoes to Spirit Lake and Lake Katherine.

Tom developed deep and enduring friendships with fellow Santa Feans through a variety of social and cultural organizations, including the Kiva Club, ¿Quien Sabe? and the Chili Club.

Tom worked tirelessly to make Santa Fe a beautiful, interesting and compassionate community. Beyond what he did, was how he lived: generous of time, spirit and treasure, caring and committed. His word was his bond. Tom was, in a phrase, a very good man.

He is survived by his wife June, son Fletcher R. Catron (wife, Diane L. Catron) and daughter Peggy Catron (husband, Jerome C. Premo), grandson Thomas F. Catron (wife, Janette Denevan Catron and their sons Max and Silas), and granddaughters Julia D. Catron (husband, David Andersson), Clare Premo Perez (husband, Andres Perez) and Emily C.E. Premo. Tom and June's son Stephen died in 1985, and now father and son are listening to Strauss together.

Tom has been buried at the National Veterans Cemetery in Santa Fe. A memorial service will be held when we can all be together again to appropriately celebrate this wonderful man's life. If you so choose, the family would appreciate, with deep gratitude, memorial gifts to the Thomas B. Catron III and June Ellis Catron Endowment Fund at the Santa Fe Opera or to the Thomas B. Catron III and June Ellis Catron Endowment Fund at the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.