Thomas Rhoades Marschall

Thomas Rhoades Marschall, 71, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, passed away on Friday, April 21, six months after having been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. He died in his sleep, without pain, while holding his wife Annmarie’s hand. The eldest of five children, Tom was born in New Orleans to Marie and Albert Marschall on January 23, 1946. As his father was a Naval officer, Tom was forced to adjust to moving often while growing up, spending his formative years between Troy, NY, Davisville, RI, Norfolk, VA, San Francisco, CA, and the suburbs of northern Virginia, where he graduated high school in 1964. He excelled at school, especially at math. After receiving his bachelors in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1968, Tom served in the Air Force (1970–1973) and earned a masters in business administration from Georgia State University in 1975. Tom spent the balance of the 1970s working for the Federal Reserve in the Planning Department. From there he transitioned into banking consulting, a field which would eventually offer him the opportunity to travel the world. Among many other accomplishments, Tom was one of the guiding forces behind the development of the ATM, and he co-authored one of the first books related to the subject, Electronic Banking, in 1985. While continuing to work for larger firms, he co-founded his own consultancy, Integrated Staffing Solutions, LLC. He and his partner patented a staffing algorithm still used by banks. His final position was with Fidelity Investment Services (FIS). Tom was truly a renaissance man: In addition to enjoying the problem-solving nature of his work, he had a voracious curiosity about the world around him. He was extremely well read on any number of subjects and remained passionate to the end about the music with which he grew up. A naturally gifted athlete, Tom excelled in sports of all kinds and thrived on challenging rock-climbing trips. He was one of the best racquetball players in the South and even taught the game to members of the Atlanta Falcons. He was an early proponent of transcendental meditation and yoga, patiently cared for many dogs and cats, helped Annmarie put on a haunted house every Halloween, and in later years discovered the zen of birdwatching. Having lived in the same neighborhood, Hidden Hills, for over thirty years, Tom was known by all of his neighbors for his long daily walks—more like nature hikes than strolls. But perhaps his favorite hobby was gourmet cooking: he was an excellent self-taught chef and passed along a love of diverse foods to his family. Tom is survived by his four sons, Carson (and fiancée Sarah), Garin (and wife Erika), Wythe, and Zachary (and wife Patrika), as well as by his first wife, Beth Ingram (mother of Carson and Garin), and his wife of 34 years, Annmarie (mother of Wythe and Zachary). He is also survived by his mother, four siblings, numerous cousins, and his two young grandchildren—Zachary’s son, Tyson, and Garin’s newborn daughter, Pepper. The family will receive visitors from 1 to 3 PM on Friday, May 5, at Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home (351 N Clarendon Ave, Scottdale, GA 30079). A celebratory memorial service for Tom will be held there on Saturday, May 6, from 1 to 3 PM. In keeping with Tom’s warm spirit, please do not wear black to the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested a donation be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Atlanta (donate.lls.org).

Tributes

Thomas Rhoades Marschall

April 21, 2017