Thomas Marshall

THOMAS MARSHALL

Grinnell

Thomas Kirkland Marshall of Grinnell died Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at the Mayflower Community Health Care Center. He was 81 years old. A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at Herrick Chapel, Grinnell.

A private family interment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Tom Marshall may be directed to The Tom and Connie Marshall Administrative Endowment Fund, Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation, P.O. Box 344, Grinnell, IA 50112.

Condolences may be sent to the family of Tom Marshall c/o David Marshall, 45 Marshall St., Northampton, MA 01060.

Online condolences to the family may be sent via www.smithfh.com.

Survivors include his sister, Diane Schupp of Des Moines; brother, Hal Marshall of Phoenix, Ariz.; three children, David Marshall and his wife, Martha Clark, of Northampton, Mass., Amy Flannery and her husband, Jim, of The Woodlands, Texas, and Stephen Marshall and his wife, Laura, of Chelmsford, Mass.; and eight grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Connie; and parents, Clare and Myrna Marshall.

Tom was born June 2, 1933, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Clare and Myrna (Hayette) Marshall. He attended Cedar Rapids public schools, as well as the Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1955 with degrees in English and journalism. While at Grinnell, he was a three- sport athlete and participated in many campus activities.

Tom married his high school sweetheart, Constance Ann "Connie" Peterson, on Aug. 24, 1957. They had three children, David, Amy and Stephen; and eight grandchildren. Connie was a constant support and loving partner; she was an essential part of many, if not all, of Tom's successes. They were happily married for 52 years until Connie's death on June 27, 2010.

After a two-year stint in the Air Force, Tom spent more than 20 years working at the Connecticut General Insurance Corporation, eventually becoming the director of advertising. While in Connecticut, he was a member of The Greater Hartford Jaycees and, through this organization, co-chaired the Insurance City Open, a PGA tournament, in 1965. He also worked as the executive director of the Downtown Council of Hartford.

Tom returned to Grinnell College in 1982 as vice president for development. During his 10 years as an employee at Grinnell, he helped strengthen the college through his exceptional fundraising skills and alumni leadership.

Tom had an enduring passion for community service and a vision for how to accomplish it. In 1989, he founded the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation and served as its president for much of the next two decades. Since its inception, the foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support county-related causes, including affordable healthcare, park improvement and education. It has served as a catalyst for several public-private partnerships, including the renovation of Grinnell High School, the building of the aquatic center and the construction of the Drake Library.

Tom never retired and dedicated his post-Grinnell College years to volunteer work with numerous Grinnell organizations, including the Greater Poweshiek County Community Foundation, Mayflower Foundation, Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce, Grinnell United Way and Grinnell 2000 Foundation.

He has been the recipient of several service awards, including the Spirit of Giving in 2013 and the Grinnell College Alumni Award in 2015.

Tom left a lasting impression on those who knew him through his determined work, humble demeanor, good humor and positive outlook.