Thomas Benjamin Borak

Thomas (Tom) Borak, age 78, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, January 25th, 2021 at Medical Center Of The Rockies, Loveland, CO. He was born on August 2nd, 1942 in Minneapolis, MN to Mayme and John Borak of New Prague, MN. He is survived by his loving wife Marie-Louise Borak (Meier), daughter Theresa Cordova, son-in-law Francisco Cordova, grandchildren Emiliano and Eloise Cordova, and sister Helen Anawalt. Tom grew up in New Prague, MN and graduated from New Prague High School in 1960. He went on to study physics at St. John’s University (class of ’64) and then received a PhD from Vanderbilt University. This led to a successful international career in radiation physics with appointments at Fermilab, CERN, and Argonne National Lab before joining the faculty at Colorado State University in 1977. He was a consultant in radioactive waste management, radon exposure, and X-Ray screening that took him to Switzerland, Ukraine, and Japan. During his time at CSU he advised over 60 MS and PhD students. He was currently assisting in research to develop radiation monitors for use by NASA astronauts. Tom and Marie-Louise married in 1973 in Arlesheim, Switzerland and shortly after, moved to Chicago and then Colorado. He was a loving husband and father that enjoyed the outdoors especially if the fish were biting. Many fond memories include fishing, camping, skiing, sailing, biking, swimming, gardening, cuisine, traveling, museums, music, sports, and of course playing with his two adoring grandchildren who called him “Choo-Choo Wawa”. He was dedicated, humble, compassionate, and loved his family and friends. Our hearts are heavy as we grieve the loss of a wonderful man who lived his life to the fullest. A celebration of life will be scheduled once we can all gather safely but a small service is scheduled at Holy Family Church, 326 N. Whitcomb St. Fort Collins, CO on Friday, February 5th at 10am. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Food Bank for Larimer County or the American Heart Association, would be appreciated.