ROSS DAVID THOMSON

ROSS DAVID THOMSON - BURLINGTON - Ross David Thomson died on Feb. 12, 2015, in the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, due to complications following lung cancer. He was 66. Ross was born on Sept. 21, 1948, in Detroit, Mich., to his parents, Foster and Ramona Thomson. His family moved to Arizona in 1963, where he lived on Meteor Crater while attending high school in Winslow. Ross graduated from Arizona State University in 1970, where he double-majored in math and economics. He received a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University in 1976. Ross taught Economics at the New School for Social Research for 15 years before becoming a Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont. He wrote and edited books and articles on technological change, and the development of Capitalism in the United States. He was very active at UVM. He created and directed the Integrated Social Sciences Program (ISSP), an inter- disciplinary program that engages socially conscious students by providing a broad view of problems that shape our world. His positions at UVM included Chair of the Economics Department, and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He was a strong supporter of the faculty union, United Academics, and served as the Chief Negotiator from 2007 to 2008. Ross was a loving, affectionate person, and a strength to his family. He had a fierce, driving passion about what he believed in, and a kind and gentle demeanor. He loved to travel, cook food from a wide range of cultures, listen to jazz, and play cribbage. Ross was a positive spirit whose sense of humor could be counted on. He is survived by his wife, Floria; sister, Randall Casillas; son, Justin; granddaughter, Emeline; and nieces, nephews, and cousins. There will be a memorial service held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, at the Ira Allen Chapel at the University of Vermont. A scholarship for ISSP students is being created in his name. In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the University of Vermont Foundation, adding a memo saying, "Economics Fund - Ross Thomson."