Thomas Andrew Sargent

Thomas Andrew Sargent, 90, passed away on Saturday, July 1, 2023 in Muncie after a long period of declining health. A beloved son, husband, father, and grandfather and a respected educator and community leader whose impact was felt widely in Indiana and especially in his hometown of Muncie, Tom will be missed by all who knew him.

Tom was born on April 24, 1933 in Indianapolis to Inez Secrest Sargent, a professional musician from Muncie, and Thomas Edward Sargent, an envelope salesman and amateur theater actor from Chicago. When Tom was a year old, his father died unexpectedly, prompting Inez to return to Muncie, where Tom grew up and attended school.

As a student at Muncie Central (class of 1951), Tom excelled in academics and leadership activities, establishing a lifelong pattern. Voted by his classmates as "brainiest" and "most likely to succeed," Tom was sports editor of the school paper and twice won Quill and Scroll journalism honor society awards for distinguished sports writing. He was also president of the Indiana High School Press Association, president of Central's honor society, and co-founder of the Criterion Club, a student discussion forum.

Tom attended DePauw University on a full-tuition Rector scholarship, graduating in 1955. He majored in political science, enrolled in Air Force ROTC, pledged Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and was news editor for The DePauw; he also wrote for The Muncie Star during his college summers. In his senior year, he was elected president of both the senior class and student senate, and was awarded the Walker Cup, given to the student who has contributed the most to DePauw in their four years.

After earning his B.A., Tom trained to fly the B-47 bomber as a pilot in the Air Force (1955-58). He then completed an M.A. at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (1959) before deciding he could best make a living as a banker. Between 1959 and 1966, Tom worked at First National City Bank of New York (now Citibank) in New York, London, and Beirut, and at the Irving Trust Company in New York.

It was during these years that Tom met his first wife, Cecily Fox-Williams of London. Married in 1965, Tom and Cecily would go on to have two children, Sarah and Andrew, and share 20 happy years together in Muncie before Cecily's untimely passing in 1985 at age 46.

Tom resumed his graduate studies at Tufts in the late 1960s, earning a Ph.D. in International Relations in 1969 before returning to Muncie for a two-decade career as a political science professor at Ball State University. A respected teacher and scholar, Tom made his most notable mark as a campus and community leader who, as one colleague put it, "enhanced the reputation of the political science department as well as that of the university."

Among his many leadership roles, Tom served as director of Ball State's London Center (1973-74), chair of the political science department (1977-80), chair of the university senate (1977-79), associate dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities (1982-85), executive director of the Indiana Consortium for International Programs (1982-88), and director of Ball State's E.B. & Bertha C. Ball Center for University and Community Programs (1987-89). In the early years of public television in Muncie, Tom served on the board of directors of WIPB-TV and often appeared as a moderator or interviewer on the station's public-affairs programs.

In all of these endeavors, Tom was well known for his good humor and poised professionalism. At his retirement dinner in 1989, colleagues praised him for his "jaunty, courteous presence" around "colleagues and students alike." Another described him as "a model of civility, composure, careful attention, and good will" and "an extraordinary study in honesty coupled with discretion," but one who was "tough as nails... when matters were at the crunch."

As another sign of this high regard, Tom was appointed Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Director Emeritus of the E.B. Ball Center upon his retirement. He was also named a Sagamore of the Wabash (1988) by Governor Robert D. Orr for his distinguished service to the state of Indiana.

In 1987, Tom married Muncie philanthropist and community volunteer Frances Petty, who had lost her own husband, Edmund F. Petty, the same year Cecily died. Tom also became stepfather to Frank and Elizabeth Petty. During these years, Tom and Frances traveled often, spending winters in Naples, Florida and summers in Leland, Michigan and Culver, Indiana. They were together for three decades until Frances's death in 2017.

In his retirement years, Tom expanded his role as a community leader by continuing to serve on-and often lead-the boards of numerous arts and non-profit organizations. He was president of the board of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra (1991-93); president of the Delaware County Historical Alliance (1987-91); chairman of the Minnetrista Cultural Center board of governors (1992-94); first vice president of the Muncie Civic Theater board of directors (1992-94); an at-large member of the Indiana Real Estate Commission (1983-91); and a longtime trustee of DePauw University, his alma mater. Tom also contributed to the boards of Arts Indiana, Inc. and the Muncie Children's Museum, and was active in the United Methodist Church, both at the state level and through his membership at High Street Church in Muncie.

Tom's knowledge of Muncie and his skills as a writer and researcher led him to author three short books on Muncie-related topics: The House and Its History (1989), on the E.B. Ball house; The Muncie Symphony Orchestra: 50 Seasons of Music (1998); and Bracken House: A History (2000).

As anyone who knew him could attest, Tom had a distinctive personal style. A self-admitted Anglophile, he rarely appeared in public without a coat and tie, and he carried himself with the cheerful formality of a British diplomat. He was also self-deprecating, quick-witted, and a strong believer in the value of not taking oneself too seriously. "Relax and enjoy it" was one of his favorite pieces of advice.

Tom had several cherished pastimes. He loved reading the newspaper, walking his dogs, going out to lunch with friends, attending Rotary, relaxing before dinner with a glass (or two) of scotch, eating dessert, and spending time with his family at Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver. He was also an architecture aficionado with a special admiration for modernism, and a sports car enthusiast who drove sensible Buick station wagons.

Preceding Tom in death were his father, Thomas Edward Sargent (1934); mother, Inez Secrest Sargent (1994); first wife, Cecily Fox-Williams Sargent (1985); and second wife, Frances Petty Sargent (2017). Surviving him are a daughter, Sarah (Charles) Hetzel, of Franklin, Tennessee; a son, Andrew (Rebecca) Sargent, of Malvern, Pennsylvania; a stepson, Frank (Angie) Petty, of Traverse City, Michigan; a stepdaughter, Elizabeth (Mike) McClinchie, of Larchmont, New York; two additional stepchildren, Rick (Jane) Petty, of New Rochelle, New York, and Jill (Chris Clayhold) Petty, of Portland, Oregon; and 13 grandchildren: Wills and Cecily Hetzel; Sylvia and Miranda Sargent; Elliott, Edmund, and Eli Petty; Margaret and Abigail Kaye and Maddy McClinchie; Alec Petty; and Nick Petty and Zach Clayhold.

A Memorial Service will be held in Muncie on Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 11:30 am at First Presbyterian Church, 1400 W. Riverside Ave.

Friends and family may call at First Presbyterian Church on July 13 from 10:00 am until service time at 11:30 am.

In lieu of sending flowers, the family suggests that donations in Tom's memory be directed to the Fox-Williams Scholarship, a fund established by Tom to support Ball State students studying abroad in England. For more information, please contact the Ball State University Foundation at (765) 285-8375. Donations may also be made to DePauw University Annual Giving at (765) 658-4085.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.meeksmortuary.com.