Thomas Judson Sasser

Thomas Judson (Tom) Sasser passed away on November 28, 2015 following a short illness. He was born in Augusta, Georgia on April 2, 1927, and served in the Navy during World War II. He studied journalism and art at Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia where he met his future wife, Elizabeth (Betsy) Skidmore. After their marriage they moved to Lubbock in 1949, when Betsy accepted a teaching position in the Architecture and Allied Arts Department at Texas Tech University. Tom arrived in a full body cast on a hospital plane as a result of a serious auto accident. The Sassers became part of the arts scene in Lubbock in the 1950s, and taught Saturday morning art classes for children at the Texas Tech Museum. Tom completed an undergraduate degree and Masters of Education in Arts and Crafts at Texas Tech. He taught arts and crafts at Levelland Junior High School for 37 years until his retirement in 1990.

In retirement the Sassers travelled extensively through Texas engaged in research and photography for the book, Dugout to Deco, a history of Texas architecture to which Tom contributed many photographs. Tom’s many other interests and pursuits included jewelry making, lapidary work, stained glass, ceramics and sculpture.

Following Betsy's death in 2005, Tom traveled widely to China, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Hungary, Sweden, Costa Rica and Cuba. He also practiced Tai Chi four times a week at Covenant Lifestyle Center. He remained active and engaged until the end of life, and especially enjoyed the friends and community that he found at Carillon Retirement Community where he lived since 2011.

He will be remembered for his adventurous spirit, intellectual curiosity, wry humor and great kindness. He is survived by a daughter, Lisa Sasser, an architect and preservation consultant, and daughter-in-law Betsy Hahn, of Amherst, NH. Plans will be announced at a later date for a gathering to celebrate Tom’s life.