Thomas Alva Colson

Thomas Alva Colson, 80, of Rochester, died peacefully on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015, at Charter House in Rochester following a prolonged illness.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley (Stock), of 55 years; his daughter, Yolonda; two sons, Shawn and Peter; five grandchildren; and many friends at Charter House.

Born on Aug. 10, 1935, in Englewood, Colo., the son of Alva and Marion (Beecher) Colson, Tom enlisted in the Navy where he served as Aviation Radioman First Class from 1955 to 1958. After completing his service, he and Shirley were married on Feb 6, 1960, and settled in Denver, Colo., where he worked for IBM and with Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross at the University of Colorado. 

Tom loved farming and spent family vacations working on the farms of friends and relatives. He moved his family to their own farm in Longmont, Colo., and, in 1976, to a 160-acre farm in Byron. He farmed with his family while maintaining a full-time job at IBM Rochester as a systems programmer, where he continued until his retirement in 1992. 

He led his family through the construction of two family homes, nail-by-nail, brick-by-brick, in which they lived for many, many years. He taught his three children the value of a hard day's work, how to sink a nail in a single hit, the importance of measuring twice and cutting once, the "enjoyment" of long walks repairing fences and fixing culverts, and as teenagers, identifying that "unnecessary trip." Most importantly, he showed that one can learn to do anything and that no task is too big or too difficult, if you just take it one step at a time and never quit.

In 1990, at the age of 55, he fulfilled his promise to his father by graduating from Metropolitan State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. His liberal arts course requirements led to a brief "career" on stage where he performed with the Mantorville Theater Company. He had a lifelong passion for photography and was known for his many beautiful landscape photographs displayed at the Charter House and published in the Post-Bulletin.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, John and Robert Colson. An avid supporter of medical research and medical student education, he participated in the Senior **
Sage Program, several educational initiatives and has donated his body to the Mayo Clinic for research and education. A memorial service will be held at Charter House on a later date.  

In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to Dr. David P. Steensma's MDS Research Fund, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215.