Thomas Henry Shrader

July 12, 1943 – October 14, 2015

Thomas Henry Shrader, who passed away on October 14, 2015, was born in Marlinton, West Virginia, on July 12, 1943. He lived his first ten years in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, where he was imprinted on the beautiful forests of the Allegheny Mountain, the foggy riparian landscape of the Greenbrier River, the mountain-side pastures, and the cultivated fields of hardworking farms.

He was the son of George Henry Shrader and Lula Katherine Wymer and the stepson of Emerson Paul Harris, who Tom appreciated for his loving and caring for someone else's son. He was preceded in Heaven by an infant brother; half-brothers Raymond, Sterl, and Robert Glenn; half-sisters Goldie, Eva, and Lenora; uncle, Elmer Wymer; aunt, Blanche Wymer; and sister-in-law Chi Tam.

In Lakeway, Texas, he is survived by the joy of his life, Michele, his wife of 50 years; a wonderful son that made him smile every day with pride, Theodore Shrader; a blessing of a handsome and creative grandson, Benjamin Patrick Shrader; a radiant, positive thinking daughter-in-law, Mary Bryant Shrader; and her parents Jim and Gloria Bryant. He is also survived by cousins Robert Wymer, Ruth Taylor, and Wanda Buchannon, and their families of West Virginia.

After his family moved to Arizona, he graduated from Tucson High School (class of 1961) and, by selecting majors based on his early life experiences in West Virginia, graduated from the University of Arizona with a BS in Agricultural Sciences (1967) and a MS in Agronomy (1972). He was a member of the Agricultural Science honor society Gamma Sigma Delta (1969, University of Arizona chapter) and the Phi Kappa Phi honor society (1975, New Mexico State University chapter).

In addition to early part-time jobs, he spent a summer on a US Forest Service fire fighting crew in Oregon (1964), an experience he said was the hardest he ever worked in his life and which encouraged him to complete his college education. He was Office Manager for the Sanz School of Languages, a contractor at the Defense Language Institute, Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas (1968-1970).

Tom worked professionally as an Agronomist, Ecologist, and Supervisory Biologist with the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation for 32 years (1972-2003). He had responsibilities for environmental law compliance, land management, wildlife and habitat preservation and conservation, and endangered and threatened species preservation and conservation on the Rio Grande Project in New Mexico and West Texas and Reclamation's Lower Colorado Region, where his work was primarily on Lake Mead and the Colorado River below Hoover Dam.

He presented much of his plant ecology work at professional conferences and in publications. His biological memoir on the riparian ecology of the Rio Grande and Colorado River, entitled Allegheny Sunrise - Rio Grande Ecesis – Colorado Sunrise, was near completion, pending additional information from two regions of the US Bureau of Reclamation, at the time of his passing. He co-authored with his son a Civil War website that was recognized as one of the best on the subject by a national publication. He worked against destroying the scenic values and resources of Allegheny Mountain and environs in his home County of Pocahontas, West Virginia. He opposed raptor-avian-destroying wind farms and resource degrading undertaking, such as fracking.

Tom was listed in the 1996-1997 edition of Who's Who in Science and Engineering and in the 1995 Riparian/Wetland Research Expertise Directory-Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. He was a long-time member of the Arizona Riparian Council and recently a sponsor of the Tamarisk Coalition.

Tom was active in habitat and historical conservation and preservation programs. In his positions with the US Bureau of Reclamation, he initiated native riparian revegetation programs on the Rio Grande and Colorado River, and in retirement, he participated in the Native Plant Society of Texas, encouraging native riparian restoration on the Rio Grande.

Along with others, he dedicated his time, expertise, and funds in saving the Nation's Civil War heritage through battlefield preservation; and, in honoring his contributions, he was recognized as a member of the "Top 250" and "Color Bearer" of the Civil War Trust.

In addition to his contributing funds to preserve the nation's Civil War battlefields, he also contributed to the funding of the Pocahontas Free Library (Marlinton, WV) with dedication to his mother and step father, the Lake Travis Library (Lakeway, Texas), the building of the St. Thomas More Catholic Church (Henderson, NV), and the Parish Activity Center for Emmaus Catholic Parish (Lakeway, TX).

In the 1990s, Tom managed a program of donating collections of scientific journals to international institutes such as the Manchurian Wheat Institute (China), University of Philippines-Las Bonus, and Agronomy Institute (Turkey).

In terms of avocations, Tom enjoyed carpentry, especially making shelves with hidden joints and small tables, and he was a serious bibliophile with well over five thousand books. He collected the works of Jack London, Civil War references, southwestern and Allegheny mountain biology and history, and American and international sports. The latter was the largest portion of his collection, consisting predominately of various pro and college media guides on several sports.

Upon moving to Lakeway, Texas, in 2006, Tom and Michele were involved in many social service activities with the Emmaus Parish community, including extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Tom served as Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 14025 during the 2007-2008 service year and was one of the charter members organizing the council.

Although Tom had to deal with a lot of physical discomfort during his latter years, he always felt he was lucky and blessed with a wonderful family. They helped him to carry on, even with an occasional smile.