Thomas Tobin

Thomas L. Tobin, 77, died Tuesday, December 11, 2007, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center after a brief illness. Services are Saturday, December 15, at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, 7075 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines. A visitation with family present will be held from 9:30-11:30 a.m., followed by a funeral mass and luncheon.
Tom was born August 28, 1930, in Buffalo, New York, the son of Thomas V. and Margaret A. Tobin. He graduated from Canisius High School and received a journalism degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served three years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. After returning home, he married Cecily Mary Welch on June 29, 1957, and worked in public relations for several years in Buffalo.

The couple moved to Ithaca, New York in 1962, where Tom worked in public information and state relations at Cornell University until 1975. He then became the Director of University Relations at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. While in that position, he was instrumental in the capital fundraising campaign to build Carver Hawkeye Arena and also earned a Masters degree in Journalism from the university.
From 1980 until 1993, Tom held positions as vice president of development at the University of Illinois, The Ohio State University and the University of South Florida where he successfully directed major development campaigns at all three institutions. After his retirement, he continued to work in education, health care and community service fundraising as a consultant, and formed the consulting firm Tobin & Associates in 1998 after moving to West Des Moines.
Tom was an avid reader, sports enthusiast, loved to play golf and enjoyed spending time with his family and grandchildren. He is survived by Cecily, his wife of 50 years, daughters Kathleen (Scott) Giles of West Des Moines and Cecily (Roberto) Simon of Ridgewood, New Jersey, son Thomas Tobin of West Des Moines, and five grandchildren: Mike, Ryan and Dan Giles; and Nicholas and Kathleen Simon.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to either St. Francis of Assisi Church; the Animal Care Foundation of Central Iowa, 6110 Creston Ave., Des Moines; or the West Des Moines Community Schools Foundation, 3550 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines.
Arrangements are being handled by Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway.

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