Stanley Thomasson
May 16, 1929 ~ June 12, 2010
Stan Thomasson, age 81, passed away on Saturday, June 12, 2010, surrounded by family.He was born in Manhattan on May 16, 1929, the son of Jean and Arthur Thomasson, and grew up in London, England. A citizen of both Great Britain and the U.S., he enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 18 and served in military intelligence in Frankfurt and Berlin following World War II. He earned a Diploma in Industrial Design from Croydon Polytechnic in London, a Diploma in French Literature from The University of Paris, a Bachelor of Architecture from Tulane University, and a Master of Architecture from Pratt Institute in New York City. Over a period of 40 years, he taught at Auburn University, Rhode Island School of Design, New Jersey School of Architecture, Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, and The University of Texas at San Antonio. Most recently he was Professor of Architecture in the UTSA School of Design, where he continued to serve on design juries following his retirement. As a teacher he challenged and inspired his students and held them to high standards. Early in his career, he worked as a magazine illustrator and fashion designer in Paris, and he later apprenticed as an architect with Phillip Johnson and Associates and other firms. For 25 years he was principal of Stan Thomasson Associates, practicing architectural, interior, product and graphic design, with projects throughout the Northeast. In his later years he created many works of sculpture and became a painter as well, a new endeavor. Family and teaching were the loves of his life. Fluent in French and German, he enormously enjoyed international travel, coffee and fast cars. Stan was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, Arthur Thomasson. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Dr. Linda Ellsworth; a stepson, Alex Ellsworth;three daughters, Tori (Dave) Phipps, Tana Thomasson (Roger Medellin), and Ty Thomasson (Ed Miller); four grandchildren, Ryan Phipps, Kevin Phipps, Taryn Phipps and Graham Medellin; and a dog-daughter, Chica. As he wished, a party in celebration of his life will be held on at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, 2010 at the family home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the San Antonio Symphony or the San Antonio Zoo.
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I am sorry to read of your loss. Many have lost loved ones. In God’s word the Bible, at John chapter 5 verses 28 and 29, Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.” May this be of encouragement.
I am so sorry for your loss. Stan was married to my sister Ann in the 70’s. He was a wonderful msn and I will always remember how kind he was to my father who was ill for a year. Someone called me at my home in Maine and I was away. I would love to talk to whomever it was that called. May he rest in peace.
I learned of this just today. I’m amazed at his bio- Stan was always a man of mystery, with a seemingly bottomless well of knowledge and experience. He was my best Studio Professor at NJIT, and I think of him often when I have a tough design problem to work out. My condolences.
I’m a former student of his from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Four years later find out of his passing, and it feels I failed to turn in my
last project. He was my teacher, architecture, RISD 1965. Because of his intelligence work, he was able to decode my student ramblings and deduce
the shape of partly formed ideas. But he didnt stop there, always probing
us to think of design in systems terms, talked about how ‘determinants’
shape architecture. Always awake, ready for consultation, any hour. Prime
brain. Hope I do as well with my students.
Infinite # blessings to the family, and to those who know of his legacy.
Curtis Schreier, Ant Farm.