Thomas A. Doeller

Thomas A. Doeller, aka "Tom", TAD, was born on a bright Easter Sunday in 1922 in Dayton, Ohio to Godfrey and Aline Doeller. Tom was a big brother to David Franklin Doeller. Tom was proud to have contributed David's middle name having just studied about Benjamin Franklin. Tom's mother died on Christmas Day 1934. His father married Margaret Brand in 1936. Little sister Elizabeth Radcliffe was born a few years later.

Tom got his first taste of Jazz as a teen when he heard Jimmie Lunceford. He grew up in a rather Victorian home with sounds of hymns and classical music. As the story goes, he listened to jazz under the cover of darkness in his bedroom with a flashlight and a needle in his mouth manually spinning the records.

Tom enrolled at Denison University, class of 1947, and was a member of Phi Delta Theta, however he and his trombone were "invited" to join the US Army Air Forces in May of 1943. Tom was a pilot trainer with the Flying Training Command at Randolph Field. In 1944, while stationed in Waco, Texas Tom married his high school sweetheart, Helen Wilcox.

As WWII came to a close, they moved back to Dayton, Ohio. Tom graduated from Denison in 1948 with a BA in Psychology. During that time, daughter #1, Barbara Driscoll was born, followed by daughter #2, Rebecca Bennett, and daughter #3, Kathleen Doeller. The family moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1956 and a few years later, daughter #4, Melinda Piña was born. Helen passed in 1970 and Tom became both father and mother to his young daughters.

Tom sold Yellow Pages advertising while keeping his interest in music alive. He sang in church choirs, Bach & Madrigal, and many Barbershop choruses and quartets. He started his own jazz radio show, TAD's JAZZ on KXTC in the late 1970's.

In 1979 he married Lois Marks and welcomed her two daughters, Diana Morris and Terry Marks, to his family. Tom and Lois moved to Sedona in 1985. Tom continued his jazz radio show on KQST. He was a Rotarian, Stephen Minister through the Church of the Red Rocks, past President of Sedona Jazz on the Rocks, and member of the American Legion.

Tom and Lois moved to Scottsdale in 2020 and enjoyed being able to spend more time with their family, including 8 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Tom celebrated his 100th birthday with a party attended by many generations and branches of the Doeller family. He also flew to our nation's capitol as special guest of Honor Flight Arizona.

Tom's family extends their sincere appreciation to the staff of Truewood, and Suncrest Hospice for the excellent, kind, and respectful care they provided to Tom. His last few days were peaceful and full of love.

Tom left us with a smile on an equally bright Sunday morning, February 25, 2024. As Tom would say, "Everything is copacetic." 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 13th at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018 with visitation at 1 P.M. and service at 2 P.M.

In lieu of flowers and trees donations may be made in Tom's honor to Phoenix Conservatory of Music 
https://pcmrocks.org/ways-to-help/donate/ and Phoenix US Vets Inc. https://usvets.org/donate/phoenix/