Thomas Pasco

Thomas Steven Pasco

Thomas Steven Pasco of Murray, Kentucky; Lexington, Kentucky; and San Francisco, California, died Friday, Sept. 25, 2015.
He was born July 16, 1958 in Murray, Kentucky, to Lt. Col. John Otis Pasco and Ruth Nall Pasco.
Tom graduated from Murray High School in 1976 where he was in the National Honor Society, Who's Who Among American High School Students and served on the student council. He loved the arts and was in Who's Who Among American High School Musicians. He was active in the Murray High School Band, Speech Club, National Forensic League, French Club and Teens Who Care. Tom was the lead in the junior class play and was active in the Murray Community Theatre (now Playhouse in the Park). In summers, he worked at the Market House Theatre in Paducah. In 1975, he marched with the Murray High School Band in the Orange Bowl Parade. An active member of First Christian Church, he was also a member of the Christian Youth Fellowship and attended summer church camp.
Tom graduated from the University of Kentucky in communications, served on the UK Student Center Board and active in UK Theatre productions. He moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1981 and attended graduate school in journalism at the University of Nebraska. While in Lincoln, he worked for the Lincoln Regional Center and was active in various community and political organizations. Tom served as Associate Editor for "The New Voice of Nebraska" from 1983-1985. In 1985, he moved to San Francisco, California, where he worked for three major international law firms: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliff LLP; Sedgwick LLP; and Littler Mendelson, P.C.
In California, Tom remained loyal to his Kentucky roots. He was the active president of the Northern California UK Alumni Club. He grew the club through awareness campaigns and organized game watches for every game (especially basketball.) He hosted Kentucky Derby parties each year to celebrate San Francisco Kentuckians' connection to their beloved home state. He was actively involved in politics as an important member of the Democratic Party and volunteered with The San Francisco LGBT organization and Aids Foundation. Mainly, his joy in the arts remained as he supported San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, American Conservatory Theater, and San Francisco Ballet.
His leadership in San Francisco will be sorely missed. He was loved by many and committed himself to his community service with true leadership, heart and action, encouraging others to become involved.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a nephew, John O. Pasco III and a cousin, William Nall Jr.
Tom is survived by a sister, Patricia Pasco of San Francisco; his brothers, John and Kathryn Hackney Pasco and William and Elizabeth Gill Pasco, all of Murray and James and Deborah McMillan Pasco of Lexington; nieces, Tiffany Pasco and Jill Taylor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Cy and Rebecca Pasco Coons of Collinsville, Connecticut; nephews, Captain Clayton and Kristen Anderson Pasco and daughter Anderson Belle of Destin, Florida and William Pasco of Lexington; an aunt, Henrietta Pasco Boris of Fort Worth, Texas; cousins, William Morris and Rita Burke of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Dennis and Vicky Collins Nall Sr. of Rosenberg, Texas; Dennis Nall Jr. of Houston, Texas; Timothy and Mercedes Moreno Nall of Galveston, Texas; Will and Angela Nall Gutowsky of Richmond, Texas and Roger and Sarah Nall West of Rosenberg; many Pasco cousins too numerous to mention and many close friends and classmates.
The San Francisco "Celebration of Life" for Tom will be Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, at Pier 23 from 4-6 p.m. A Murray celebration is planned after the first of the year.
Instead of flowers, the family request donations to honor Tom through the University of Kentucky Scholarship fund and may be made payable to the University of Kentucky and sent to UK Alumni Association, c/o Sara-Elizabeth Bush, King Alumni House, Lexington, KY 40506-0119. Note Tom Pasco Memorial in the memo line.