S. GARY (GARVER) THOMSON III ’65
S. GARY (GARVER) THOMSON III, the owner and manager of the Tivoli Gardens Restaurant in Saint Croix, U.S.V.I., who was perhaps better known as “Gary” of Gary and the Wombats, died of cancer Feb. 28, 2009. He was 66. A member of Eclectic, he received an MBA from Columbia University and worked with Smith, Barney & Company for five years. He had owned and managed Tivoli Gardens since 1975. Gary and the Wombats are six Wesleyan alumni who started playing rhythm and blues and rock and roll at Wesleyan in 1962, and who played at other East Coast colleges and universities. They still perform together several times a year for charity fundraisers and private parties. He is survived by his wife, Martha; his sister; and his cousin.
John Dunton ’65 writes: With great sadness I write to tell you that Gary died Thursday, February 26 around 4 PM.
After his esophagus burst in early October, he waged a gallant, tenacious fight against infections, heart problems and failing lungs for over four months, but his weakened body was unable to overcome the latest bacterial attack.
David Dinwoodey spoke with his wife Martha Thursday evening. I paraphrase his message to me:
He had another series of infections attack his body about a week ago in the rehab facility near Patterson, NJ. Dave had seen him Tuesday afternoon and he was unresponsive but stable; whether he could hear Dave was uncertain. On Wednesday he again became unstable; his blood pressure dropped again, he was maxed out on antibiotic medicines; his heart got into difficulty and he got into systemic failure across the board trying to battle multiple problems.
Martha spent every day with him since this crisis began. She and his sister Jeannie were with him when he passed.
Since this has just occurred and Martha is dealing with the enormity of the event, there are presently no plans for a memorial service. I believe she will return to their home on St. Croix and be with their dogs, watch the sea and collect her thoughts. Sometime in the future there probably will be a gathering to celebrate Gary’s life.
We met at Wesleyan 47 years ago, became fraternity brothers and quickly became brothers in Gary and The Wombats. I have no idea how many thousand hours we have spent playing music together. Like most brothers, we laughed together, we partied together, we quarreled at times, we drew apart as life took us in different directions, and like many brothers, as we aged we drew closer.
His first health crisis with esophageal cancer occurred 10 years ago. He persevered in his battle against this horrible disease and, against heavy odds, achieved a decade of music, travel and enjoyment of good food and good friends.
In recent years he frequently came to Boston to make pilgrimage to Union Oyster House for cherrystone clams and to spend a quiet day or two visiting with Carol and me and with Dave and Mary Ellen Dinwoodey. There was an increased sweetness and mellowness in his demeanor that brought out his charming best. During these last 10 years when The Wombats would convene for a gig, he gave us his usual leadership and direction, but also was amenable to change and new approaches that he would not have embraced when we all were younger. In recent years he did not always have the stamina to perform at his best, but he always gave it everything he had. The last time we played together it was helping raise money for the ”Celebration of Hope — Wellness Community of St. Louis“ which supports the families of cancer victims.
Gary was, and will always be to me, Gary of Gary and the Wombats?my brother in music and my great and dear friend.