Thomas Roth

Dr. Thomas (Tom) Roth of Columbia, formerly of Ellicott City, died on April 18, at 89 years of age. He was the husband of the late Lorri Roth for 57 years, and the father of Kurt Roth, Ph.D. (Jan Lerbinger) of Cambridge, MA and Peter Roth, DDS (Jennifer) of Phoenix, MD. Proud Grampa/Papa of Clara, Mason, and Avery. Lover of all dogs.

Born in Dearborn, MI in 1932, Tom was the youngest of four children. He was fortunate to attend the Edison Institute in Greenfield Village, which featured a working sawmill, blacksmith and numerous other exhibits that fascinated him. There, he developed an intense curiosity in the physical world, conducting scientific experiments and pursuing engineering endeavors that fortuitously left the house intact. These inspired him to pursue a B.S. at Tufts and, after a three-year stint as an officer in the Navy, during which he met his future wife (and added some choice words to his vocabulary), a Ph.D. from Harvard University, in biology. His pioneering doctoral work on coated pits and vesicles launched a scientific research career (>3,000 citations), first at the University of California, San Diego, and then in the Biological Sciences Department at UMBC, mentoring dozens of graduate students and post docs. Later in his career he became very interested in information technology and, before his retirement in 1998, served as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at UMBC.

Tom had a strong aesthetic sense, thoroughly enjoying classical music, art, and gardening. While in the Navy, he developed a love of classical music, particularly chamber music. He was very active in the Candlelight Concert Society, serving on the board and sponsoring concerts for decades, as well as the Howard County Arts Council. While at Harvard, he developed an appreciation for art. He and Lorri traveled extensively, collecting an eclectic range of art and artifacts from six continents that graced their home in the woods. He and Lorri also shared a passion for gardening, creating a sizeable vegetable garden and orchard that they cultivated into their early 80s. Inspired by a trip to Japan, he also worked with a landscape architect to design a beautiful Japanese garden, building it over several years. Gardening and landscaping provided him with many opportunities to pursue projects merging his aesthetic sense with his affinity for engineering.

We will miss Tom's curiosity and enjoyment of the world, his unique sense of humor, and, most of all, his loving warmth and generosity.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Candlelight Concert Society or a charity of your choice.