Dr. Thomas H. Fay, age 90, died after a brief illness on Sunday, July 30, 2017. He was born on September 14, 1926 in Gainesville, Florida to Lucile Holbert Long and Thomas Holland Fay. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout before heading off to college. Tom graduated with a B.A. in Speech from the University of Florida. He went on to graduate with a MA in Music from Columbia University. Duty called and he served honorably in the U.S. Navy.
He then continued his education and received his Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Disorders from the University of Illinois. He returned to New York to work as a professor at Columbia University and also served as a Director of the Speech and Hearing Lab at Presbyterian Hospital. Concurrently, he served as the Noise Specialist on the Environmental Control Board under four different NYC mayors. In 1983, he was recognized as Honorable Deputy Chief of the NYFD for his work on Noise and Siren Protocol. Just two years ago, he traveled to NYC to update his NYFD identification card and was greeted warmly by the firemen of Station 18.
During his career, he received numerous awards. Given his life-long appreciation of music, he gladly accepted an offer from Leontyne Price to “turn the pages” during her performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. He also would accompany another dear friend, singer Dusty Springfield, to London when she performed there. Upon his retirement in 1991, he returned to his hometown roots in Gainesville, Florida, to care for his beloved mother. Tom certainly didn’t rest on his laurels. He became active in many organizations, however, his true passion was the Evergreen Cemetery Association of Gainesville, Inc. (ECAGI)
Tom is a direct descendant of the James T. Thomas family who began Evergreen Cemetery in 1856. He will be laid to rest in the original family plot next to his parents. Tom leaves behind his longtime trusted friend George Johnson, close friend Abe Walts, and rescue cats Hemmingway, Tiger, and Pepe. Services will be held, Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 106 SW 3rd St, Gainesville, FL 32601, with a visitation for one hour prior. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to the ECAGI- Evergreen Cemetery Association of Gainesville, Inc. ( a 501 c 3 organization ) 309 NE 1st Street Gainesville, FL 32601 .
