Thomas Gene Goldsborough

Husband, Dad, Friend and Razorback Fan for Life

Tom passed away on a Thursday. The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team won by 41 the following Saturday. Coincidence? Maybe. But we like to think Tom had something to do with it.

Thomas Gene Goldsborough passed from this life on Dec. 1, 2022, at the age of 86. He was the kindest of men and an optimist at heart. When he met you, he asked how you were and might offer you a cup of coffee or a Coke. When he knew you, you'd get those things plus a Tom joke or an offer of support on your latest endeavors. When he left you, he was known to end most conversations with the familiar reminder "be safe."

Tom never met a stranger, and he genuinely liked most people and parts of life. Except for the Texas Longhorns. He loved his family, his church and the opportunities he was afforded. In his own words: "For a young boy growing up in a free country, surrounded by loving family and friends and given educational and professional opportunities that could not have been imagined, I was blessed at every change and every challenge."

Tom was born during The Great Depression in McCurtain, Oklahoma. He was the son of a grade school teacher and a housewife and had a modest upbringing. He did well in school and developed an interest in music and sports, where he played trombone in the Fort Smith High School Grizzlies Marching Band. During his time in high school, he had a close group of friends, including one named Amanda Ann. Neither of them knew it at the time, but they would reunite at a high school reunion and marry 45 years later.

Tom attended the University of Arkansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and developed a lifelong love of the university. He visited campus frequently and never hesitated to call the Hogs in public settings. He would be happy to provide you a play-by-play analysis of how Arkansas should have beaten Texas in the 1969 "Game of the Century." Or how Lou Holtz suspended three Arkansas players and then upset Oklahoma in the 1978 Orange Bowl.

While in college, Tom began his service as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve (Rank: Airman First Class). In 1955 he was inducted into the Arkansas National Guard. His troop was deployed during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, but avoided active combat when an agreement was reached between the United States and the Soviet Union. He was discharged from the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1963.

After graduating from Arkansas in 1958, Tom started his career with the Rock Island Railroad. He went to Chicago for the initial interview because he'd never seen the city before and thought it might be interesting. When Rock Island came back with the best job offer, he moved to Chicago and embarked on what would become a 40-plus year career in computing and sales management. He spent seven years in Chicago working for Rock Island and Kraft Foods before coming back to Arkansas to take a job in Little Rock with IBM.

Tom spent 35 years at IBM. He and his teams were on the forefront of many evolutions in the computing industry – most notably, the introduction of the personal computer, which was as groundbreaking at the time as the idea of everyone having a smartphone was in more recent years. While with IBM, he worked in Systems Engineering, Sales and Sales Management. He was a representative for Arkansas state government during the administrations of Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers and David Pryor. And he worked as an account executive for IBM's Academic Information Systems group, covering major research universities in 10 states.

Tom served on the Arkansas Government Efficiency Study Commission (1967-1968) and the Kansas City Mayor's Technology Council (1982). He was part of the consulting scholar program implementation at the University of Missouri (1986) and was a loaned executive for the University of Missouri-Kansas City (1995). He was a charter member of the Arkansas Academy of Computing and during his final years at IBM, he also served as chair and board member at The Barstow School in Kansas City (1999-2001), where Justin and Tara both graduated high school.

Around the time of his retirement, Tom reconnected with Amanda at their 45 ^th high school reunion in Fort Smith. In 2000, they were married, and a few years later they moved from Kansas City to Bella Vista where they lived the remainder of their 22 years together. During retirement, Tom and Amanda became active members of the First United Methodist Church of Bentonville. Their church community was an important part of their life.

One of Tom's favorite scriptures was 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. There's a part of it that provides some perspective on how he might have viewed the last days of his life: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

Tom is survived by his wife, Amanda Goldsborough; his children, Greg, Justin and Tara; his stepchildren, Debbie Fahlsing and James and Rosa Brown; his grandchildren, Sean, TJ, Eric and Betsy Goldsborough; his step grandchildren, Heather Cargill, Natalie Smith, Francis and Christina Brown; and a number of friends and acquaintances who he always greeted with a smile.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Gladys Irene Goldsborough Kennedy; his son Thomas Bradley Goldsborough; his stepson-in-law, David Fahlsing; and his nephew, Wesley Kennedy. Tom loved his family, his fellow person, and his creator. He was genuinely optimistic and hopeful. He often spoke about how blessed he was during his time on this Earth…and all those who knew Tom were truly blessed to have spent some of that time with him.

A celebration of Tom's life will be held on Friday, December 16, 2022 at the First United Methodist Church of Bentonville. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m.

If you wish, the family asks that you please donate in Tom's name to the church's Second Street Pantry that helps families facing food insecurity during the holiday season and year-round. To learn more about the Second Street Pantry and find out how you can donate, visit 2ndstpantry.org .

Be safe, Tom. We look forward to seeing you again one day.

Arrangements are under the direction of Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory.  On-line condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.