Tom C. Fleming

Thomas Cushman Fleming, known to family and friends as Tom, died September 25 in Fort Collins of complications from diabetes. He was born May 4, 1935, to Margaret Cushman and John Rimer Fleming in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in 1953 and served in the US Army, including a tour in Korea, from 1955 to 1958. He received a BS in industrial sciences from Colorado State University in 1967. The earlier part of his career was devoted to training auto mechanics in updates and new models. At various times, he worked for Toyota, Volkswagen and Subaru. From 1985 to 2000, he worked independently as a piano technician in Aurora, Colorado. He was active in the Denver chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild and helped organize a regional conference in Denver. For years he sang with the Cherry Creek Chorale in Denver. He started church choirs in two Unitarian Universalist congregations and sang bass in choruses most of his life. He also sang in the Rainbow Chorus here. Upon retirement, he moved with his wife, Barbara, to Fort Collins, where he was an active member of the Front Range Forum, offering several courses in alternative energy and the end of oil, and performed with the SOAP Troupe at the senior center. He was also a very involved member of Namaqua Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Loveland, of which he was a charter member. Tom and Barbara met in 1981 and were married in Fort Collins during the blizzard of 1982 that shut down almost the entire state. Tom had lifelong interests in science fiction, especially Isaac Asimov; in cars, especially the Ford Thunderbird; in climate change and its causes; and in music, especially classical and choral. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Stimmel Fleming; his brother, Philip A. Fleming Grace of Washington, D.C.; a nephew, Drew Fleming Stephanie and great-niece Hannah, of Annapolis, Maryland; nieces Joanna Bowen Taylor and great-nieces Margaret and Ellen, of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Kathryn Buckley Sean of Arlington, Virginia, and great-nieces Claire and Sophie. He is also survived by stepchildren Clif Allbrandt Lynn Crocker of Aurora, Colorado; Ben Allbrandt Jill, Melissa and Sarah; and Alison Day Pat Clements of Johnstown, Colorado. The memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 2, at Foothills Unitarian Church, 1815 Yorktown Avenue.