Richard Samuel Thoman

1919 - 2015

Richard Samuel Thoman
May 10, 1919 - September 9, 2015
Resident of Hayward
Dr Richard Samuel Thoman was born near Lamar, Colorado, on May 10th, 1919; married Evelyn Louise Zumwalt on November 28th, 1942; and passed away on September 9th, 2015. He was 96 years old.
Reared on a primitive dust bowl farm/ranch in Lamar, Dick (as he was known) won two gold and one bronze medal in statewide scholarship contests in high school. He built a nest in the trees where he was able to both study for these exams and also attend to his cattle-watching duties on the farm. He received his BA and MA from University of Boulder, CO (Geography); and his PHD (also in Geography) from University of Chicago.
With his wife Evelyn, his lifelong colleague/editor as well as mate, he decided to focus professionally on Geography. He was author, co-author, editor and co-editor of 20 books and numerous articles and reviews. Two successful texts were Regional Geography of the World, and the Geography of Economic Activity. He served on boards and commissions for the Association of American Geographers, and the International Geographical Union. For nearly a decade, he was on the editorial board of the research publication Economic Geography. He taught at number of universities and colleges: University of Colorado, University of Maine in Gorham, University of Missouri, University of Chicago, University of Nebraska Omaha, Northwestern University, Queens University (Canada), and California State University, Hayward. He started a new Department of Geography at the University of Omaha, and conducted a distance learning TV program there-- in which he was "better than [competing action TV program] The Hawk!" according to one young viewer who once recognized him to his delight. During his time in Ontario, Canada, he became the province's first Director of Regional Planning and Development, an achievement of which he was proud.
Dick and Evelyn established an annual scholarship to the Cal State Department of Geography and Environmental Studies that continues to be given every year.
Dick is survived by his son G. Richard Thoman, six grandchildren Camille, Alexis, Kylie, Max, Amy and Eric; three great-grandchildren Breier, Georgia and Mac, nieces Kim, Lila, Marta, Lynda; nephews Roger, Eric, John, Perry, Howard; and numerous other relatives with whom he was constantly involved. Timothy W Tillman, who joined the Thoman household, lived in Raymond, MA until is death in 2005. He has two sons Nathan and Austin.
Dick was good at being himself, and this drew people to him. Wry, brilliant, generous, opinionated, eloquent, a man of social conscience, a go-getter, a man with a strong sense of family-- practical, poetic and funny. He wished to be remembered like this: "he lived profitably; not monetarily, but intellectually".