COLLEY, Thomas Andrew

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Thomas Andrew Colley, 50, of Scottsdale, Arizona, left this life on March 29, 2003. He fought against illness for several months with grace, dignity and courage. Tom was born in San Antonio, Texas, on September 26, 1952, the oldest of four boys. Tom grew up in Richardson, Texas, and graduated from J. J. Pearce High School in 1970. Tom attended the University of Texas at Austin and The University of North Texas, majoring in English and Journalism. After college, following his love of books and the English language, Tom began a career in the retail bookselling business. Since 1985, Tom has worked for Barnes & Noble Booksellers and was the company's District Manager in Arizona, overseeing nine stores, including stores located in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tucson. Tom was a hard-working, dedicated employee of Barnes & Noble and was well-liked and respected by his colleagues. Tom's greatest loves were his family, his work, and traveling abroad, especially to Italy. Tom traveled to Italy on several occasions, most recently in 2000 and had a keen interest in the country's culture and history. Tom loved the arts, music, and spending time in his garden. Tom was a gourmet cook and was always in charge of planning and preparing family holiday meals. Tom also enjoyed spending annual summer vacations with his family at South Padre Island, Texas. Tom is survived by a loving family, including his mother, Carolyn Colley of Richardson, Texas; his father, Thomas H. Colley of Dallas, Texas; three brothers, David and his wife, Pam of Coppell, Texas; Scott and his wife, Zen of Amarillo, Texas; and Drake and his wife, Jennifer of Sherman, Texas. Tom is also survived by three loving nephews, Christopher Colley of Coppell, Texas; and William Chappell and Ethan Colley of Amarillo, Texas. Tom is also survived by his loving aunt, Doris Jones of Clearwater, Florida. We will miss him dearly and will always cherish our memories of him. We rejoice that he is now with the Lord, at peace, and free of pain, yet we sorrow in the void that his absence will forever leave in our lives. A Memorial Service Celebrating Tom's Life will be held at 2pm, Wednesday, April 2, 2003, at Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary and Memorial Park, 6500 East Bell Road, Scottsdale, AZ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 5111 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 280, Scottsdale AZ 85250. Courtesy of Pat Wilson.