Thomas James Glennon

Thomas James Glennon, PhD passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 3rd.  Tom was born on January 18th, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He was preceded in death by his parents, William Augustus Glennon Sr. and Ruth Mauffrey Glennon, and his brothers William and Patrick Glennon.  He is survived by his wife, Maggie, his children, Eamon Glennon, Moira Potter (Ben), Siobhan Glennon (Brian), Caitlin Walker (Bo), and stepsons Cliff Bowden and John Bowden. An honor graduate of Louisiana State University, 1967 and the University of Southern Mississippi, 1969 and 1971, Tom came to Mercer University in 1971 and after spending 45 years teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences retired in 2016 as Professor Emeritus. Over the course of his tenure, Tom was an innovator who was responsible for developing a number of groundbreaking initiatives that helped reshape both Mercer and downtown Macon including the Mercer Service Scholars program and the Mercer Commons grant. Tom used his larger than life personality to encourage others to improve the life of people in the community. He waved the banner of inclusion for those with physical and mental disabilities so that they could lead full and enjoyable lives. In addition to teaching at Mercer, Tom founded the First Street Arts Center in 1989 and the Georgia Children’s Museum in 2005. He also served on numerous state and local boards and never stopped creating opportunities for both his students and those around him to ­­give back and contribute to their community. Tom loved to travel, play with his dog Max, and was an avid photographer. The family looks forward to greeting friends at their home at 125 Conifer Drive in Forsyth on Sunday, May 6th from 6-9PM. A celebration of Life will be held in a few weeks.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Christ United Methodist Church Memorial Fund at P.O. Box 162, Forsyth, GA 31029.   Monroe County Memorial Chapel has charge of arrangements.