Tomas Salvador

Tomas was born on February 4, 1924 to Arturo Salvador Ruiperez and Vicenta Belda Benet in Valencia, Spain. He was the youngest of three children, with sister, Vicenta, and brother, Arturo.

Tomas was raised by his aunt, Amparo, and uncle, Francisco “Paco”, after becoming orphaned at a young age. He lived with them in Valencia where he worked picking flowers in the Zafron fields, served in the military, and was responsible for bookkeeping at a large merchant store. It was at this store where he would meet his future wife, Arlette.

In 1950, at 26 years of age, Tomas followed his uncle, Paco, to Venezuela, where he continued to work and also study so that he could complete high school. His uncle, Paco, who had fought against Franco during the Spanish civil war and had been given asylum in England (where he had worked at a Spitfire factory), decided to seek warmer weather and brighter opportunities in the then booming Venezuela.

Tomas had built a reputation with his friendly and cordial demeanor, and high levels of integrity. He went on to work on a campaign to eradicate malaria in Venezuela, traveling the countryside by jeep to hand-deliver cash payments to the fumigation crews. Early reports of malaria eradication in Venezuela helped spark the world’s interest in global eradication.

From Venezuela, Tomas wrote to his future wife, Arlette, who was working in Switzerland. He invited her to move to Venezuela. She said “yes” and they married in 1959 and started a family together, raising three sons: Tomas, Andres, and Arturo.

Already in his 40s, Tomas went on to obtain his college degree in Actuarial Sciences. Working for two of the largest insurance companies in Venezuela, Tomas was a dedicated and respected Actuary by day, and a college professor of financial math in the evenings. In 1978 Tomas went on to co-author one of the first books on insurance ever written in Venezuela. His esteemed efforts led him to become a manager of a large life insurance department where he continued to work until the time of his retirement.

In 1990 Tomas retired and came to Austin, Texas to join his wife, Arlette, and sons, Andres and Arturo, who were pursuing their own degrees at UT Austin. In their free time, Tomas and Arlette enjoyed playing tennis, making friends, and traveling to Spain and Costa Rica. Though he integrated well into his new Texan life, he remained a proud Spaniard and a grateful, naturalized Venezuelan all his life.

The family would like to thank neighbors, Jim and Tara, Eddie and Connie from AccentCare, and caregivers Blanca, Patricia, and Palma for the attention and care they showed Tomas during the past years. Recognition also goes to the staff at St. David’s South, for their extraordinary dedication to Tomas during his final days of life. And to all of our close family friends, too many to mention here, thank you for being a part of our parents’ Texas adventure.

Tomas is preceded in death by Arlette Salvador his beloved wife of 62 years. He is survived by his son, Tomas and wife Olga, his sons, Andres and Arturo, his grandsons, Sebastian and Rodrigo, his granddaughter, Carla and husband Sam, and his great granddaughter, Olivia.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the charity of your choice in Tomas’ loving memory.

A memorial service will be held. Details will follow.