Thomas Charles Goudeaux

1967 - 2020

Thomas Charles Goudeaux

Thomas Charles Goudeaux passed away at home on Sunday, May 17, 2020. Born on September 22, 1967 in Wilmington, Delaware, Thomas is survived by his parents Jeanne and Eric Graber, his sisters Angelique Goudeaux, Yvette Goudeaux (Brad Monnig), Jessica Hoffman (Brian Hoffman), Trish Graber (Michael Wallace) and his brothers Joel Graber (Johanna Lytle) and Nathaniel Graber (Ashley Leighton) and numerous nieces, nephews, family members and friends.

After his graduation from Newark High School where he lettered in football, wrestling and track, Thomas went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware, where he was a proud member of the football team. Thomas was extremely active in the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and remained strongly united with his fraternity brothers throughout his life. Eager to expand his horizons, Thomas went on to obtain a Masters Degree from Life University in Marietta, Georgia. Thomas worked in New York City for several years and appeared as an actor in commercials, television and movie scenes. An active learner and curator of knowledge, he was an avid comic book collector who could discuss anything from the evolution of superheroes to the culinary habits of ancient civilizations.

Thomas left New York for Tokyo, Japan where he taught English and discovered his passion for travel and photography. He traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia making many friends along the way. A true people person, he would take the time to learn the native language and history before any of his trips. He embraced each and every culture with curiosity and respect. He always toured off the commercial resort path, and had a way of sharing his stories and pictures that made you feel as if you were on the journey with him.

Thomas had a love greater than travel, though, and that was music. You couldn't put Thomas in a box. His tastes varied greatly, but if you had to associate one word with him it would be House. He always said that his music collection was the soundtrack of his life. He may have been the last person left on the planet with an actual iPod because he refused to put music on his phone. During his lifetime, he honed his skills as a DJ and he loved to sing. He even held the copyright to a few songs that he wrote.

Continuing his experiences, Thomas (If you weren't family and you called him Tommy, he was quick to correct you.) traveled throughout Mexico, Central America, South America, Northern Africa, Europe and Canada. He shared his photography and commentary on his Facebook page and his recently created travel website, Solo Frontier. At his passing, he was planning a return trip to Spain, one of his many favorite places. We will miss Thomas always, but we know he has moved on to a far greater adventure and is sharing his wit and knowledge with a new set of friends.

Family and friends are invited to attend a brief viewing and service at The House of Wright Mortuary, 208 East 35th Street, Wilmington, DE 19802, (302-762-8448) on Saturday, June 6th. The viewing will be held from 3-4 PM EST followed by the memorial service which will be held from 4-5 PM EST. Contributions in Thomas' honor may be made to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international medical humanitarian organization, at www.doctorswithoutborders.org.