Thomas Paul Elrod Jr.

1934 - 2019

BORN

1934

DIED

2019

Thomas Elrod Obituary

ELROD JR., Thomas Paul 1934-2019 Tom Elrod, age 85, passed away on Friday, December 6, 2019. He was born on January 11, 1934 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In 1956 he joined the army where he attended Signal School giving him his introduction to electronics. Then in 1962 he started his career at IBM where he stayed for 29 years until his retirement in 1991. Among his passions, his greatest was motorcycles. He became an enthusiast after acquiring his first while in highschool. While working for IBM, he owned and operated a Triumph and eventually a Kawasaki dealership. It was a customer of his who recommended that he apply to IBM. After his retirement from IBM he continued to run a motorcycle machine shop full time for as long as his health allowed him. He set numerous land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats, including being one of the first to go over 200mph on a naked motorcycle, with neither fairing nor windscreen, in 1979. Even into his mid-70s he would enjoy a weekly high-speed Sunday ride. For most of the last 10 years of his life he struggled with dementia. Tom is survived by his wife Christel Elrod; and his sons Thomas and Christopher Elrod. A memorial service is scheduled for January 11, 2020. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Animals Asia.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Austin American-Statesman on Jan. 7, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Thomas Elrod

14 Entries

Steve Hanna

September 15, 2023

I meet Tommy back in the 80's? at the South 5th Street and West Mary location. I worked for Adrian Krumm at his Kawasaki/Norton/Ducati dealership on Barton Springs Rd. I owned a '74 Kawasaki Z1. Tommy was a pleasure to meet and told me his experience with Harley Davidson and the first time he went to Bonneville Salt Flats on a Kawasaki Z1 he broke all his records from over the years.
Steve Hanna.

Russ Aldous

December 28, 2021

I´ve just seen that Tom has passed a few years ago.I knew him in the UK around 1986 when he was living in Winchester. I worked with him on a bike we built for Boyer racing that was raced in the Transatlantic races that year. He was a brilliant engineer and taught me a lot about engine design. RIP Tom

Ramona Cowey

August 19, 2021

I just learned of Toms passing. I am greatful to have known such a smart and interesting man. I always tell people the he has forgotten more than most people will ever know, but I am sure that man never forgot anything. I was amazed with his talent for building motorcycles. He will be missed. RIP

Ken Whitmarsh

March 30, 2021

I first met Tom in Round Rock Texas at his motorcycle machine shop. Actually worked for him part time for several years from the late 90's to early 2000's. He taught me tricks on how to modify my old 82 kz1100 and 99 zrx 1100 . Whenever I had a job that was giving me grief he would show me a better way to do it and tell me to ignore the manual and listen to him. He loved to talk and share his stories of adventures on his motorcycles. One of a kind man there, nothing he could not fix and make better. RIP Tom, you were an awesome teacher.
Ken Whitmarsh. Austin, Texas

David Constantine

March 13, 2021

Dear family Elrod. I have just looked up your relative Tom on Google as I worked with him at IBM in Hursley Winchester in 1986/1987 when he was seconded to the UK.
I was a young twenty-something graduate to IBM and finding my way. I was also extremely interested in photography. Toms office was just across from my desk in the Open Plan area. Four years prior to joining IBM I had had a life changing accident which left me paralysed in a wheelchair. Following my accident I had studied computing at university and joined IBM. I have no hand function and can't hold anything. At the time I was trying to get my photography restarted and I knew Tom was interested in photography. One evening when we were both working late, I asked him whether he had any ideas about how I could mount my heavy camera to my wheelchair. He invited me out to his rented house and his fully equipped workshop one evening and by the end of that evening had created me a camera stand that fits to my chair which I still use today.
I left IBM two years later to go and study for a Masters degree at the Royal College of art in computer related design. While there we were given a project to design a wheelchair for developing countries. After college two colleagues and I went to live in Bangladesh for six months and started to build wheelchairs. As I couldn't work in the workshop I photographed. 30 years later the charity that we founded is still running it is called Motivation. Our mission is to provide low-cost wheelchairs in low income countries. Low-cost wheelchairs have gone all over the world and we have worked in over 120 countries. I have photographed all over the world and my cameras have given me a taste for travel and enabled me to photograph our work for the last 30 years. If it hadn't been for Tom I may never have purchased the camera I did, which I still use all these years later. It was his enthusiasm and encouragement to help me restart my photography in the medium format field, that still allows me to use my camera easily.
During the recent lockdown last year I spent my evenings going through all my photography archive and putting them on a website. You might like to see some of them: sittingimages.com
I have just been doing some writing about my life and got to the point this afternoon where I was writing about Tom and how he helped me, it was a formative moment in my photography journey which is why I googled him out of curiosity. I was very sad to read that he had passed away.
I wanted to write to you as his family to say how sad I was that I read that he passed away and that I couldn't tell him myself how helpful and inspirational he was to me. I thought I would write anyway to tell you, his family, something that you may not already know and how we helped someone in the UK. My photography has given me huge purpose to my life. Thank you Tom.
Your sincerely David Constantine MBE

Mary H Ryan

September 16, 2020

I enjoyed many conversations with Tom in years past. We shared our family history. I enjoyed his wit and sense of humor. Rest in peace Tom. Condolences to all who loved him. See you in motorcycle heaven cousin! ;-)

Frankye Hajj

April 30, 2020

Grorge and I knew Tom in New Orleans.Both worked for IBM.
George has since passed but we both were very found of him.We kept his bikes at our house for him while he was getting settled in his new job with IBM. Prayers are with his family.

John Pritchard

January 12, 2020

I had the pleasure of knowing Tom at IBM in Austin. I remember well my meeting with him to to discuss his job in my department. He told me the dates/schedule for Bonneville that year and informed me he would be going so kinda set my schedule accordingly. What a wonderful man. I know his friends will miss him.
My prayers for Tom and his family

Marley Elrod

January 10, 2020

Saddened to learn of Tom's death. I offer heartfelt condolences to all of his children -- his daughters Kate and Branwyn, as well as to his sons Thomas and Christopher - and of course to Crystal as well.

Terry Palmer

January 9, 2020

Tom taught so many of us motorcycle enthusiasts so much over the years. He was my go to guy whenever I could not figure something out. You will be missed Tom.

Vincenzo Murphy

January 8, 2020

I met Tom around 2009. My friend Dave Rossenfield recommend him as the go to for Vincent work. I enjoyed meeting him and checking out the amazing machine tools he largely brought over from England powered off a home made phase inverter blow my mind. I loved listening to his stories of his first Vincent motorcycle bought while he was stationed in Germany when he was in the Army. Apparently he sold off his last lot of Vincent's in the 90's. His stories of Bonneville where incredible. He was a nice fellow I am sorry he's gone. I wish the best to his family. RIP Tom, you are an inspiring person.

January 8, 2020

Tom was a huge character who did not suffer fools easily. I was lucky enough to work with him in Winchester UK, and in Germany. He was a dedicated engineer, who IBM recognised as an original thinker, but to me it always appeared that IBM worked for him rather than the other way around. I will never forget his stories of Bonneville, twin engined Kawasakis, and turbo charging. Fondly missed. Chris Palfrey Salisbury UK.

Jeffrey Bootz

January 7, 2020

I worked for Tom for the Spring and Summer of 1968 and took over the Kawasaki dealership when IBM sent him to New Orleans. I helped him build the Dytch stroker 80ci Sportster engine that he later put in a KR roadracer frame and took to Bonneville. He set two world records his first time on the salt. Tom was amazing. It was a privilege to know him and I learned so much from him. May he rest in peace

Showing 1 - 14 of 14 results