Georg Thomas Urban, persistent optimist

Dr. Georg Thomas “Tom” Urban passed away Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at the age of 74. A persistent optimist, Tom lived a full life as a philosopher, activist, professor, small business owner, proud father and supportive spouse. He maintained numerous lifelong friendships, and always prioritized quality time with those he loved above all else.

Tom was born March 29, 1948, in East Cleveland, Ohio, at Huron Road Hospital, to George and Helen Williams Urban. The youngest of five children, Tom was very close to his mother and sister Alice growing up. He attended Charles F. Brush High School and was active in the theater department. As a teen, Tom famously snuck away from Cleveland to visit Manhattan on his own; to his parents’ surprise, he sent them a NYC postcard from his secret adventure. 

He attended Ohio Wesleyan University, where he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1970. While at Ohio Wesleyan, Tom established strong friendships as a member and later president of the Chi Phi Fraternity, and studied in Salzburg, Austria, as part of a German language program. 

After graduation, Tom relocated to Clarion, Pa., and worked as the sports and outdoors editor, photographer, and drama critic at The Clarion News. It was in Clarion that he opened Apollodorus, a record store, where he was a major partner and manager from 1973 until 1988. He was also president of the Clarion County Historical Museum and Library for four years, and completely restored a 19th-century carriage house with his family.

Tom continued his pursuit of higher education, obtaining a master of arts degree in philosophy from Ohio University in 1976, and returning to university again for his Ph.D. in philosophy from Duquesne University in 1993. This kicked off a successful career in academia, where he was a professor of philosophy, publishing over 10 pieces of writing, speaking at over 40 conferences, and acting as a member of numerous committees. In his words, his research “focused on issues relative to human freedom and social/political responsibility, particularly the relations of ethics to knowledge and practical judgment.”

Tom relocated to Houston, Texas in the early 1990s, where he taught at multiple colleges and universities before committing full time to Houston Community College. At HCC, he expanded the philosophy course selection and access for all students, and was eventually elected president of the Faculty Senate. He retired from HCC in 2012.

While in Houston, in addition to his academic accolades, Tom was an active participant in many local organizations. He was president of the nonprofit charity, The Grey Party, which was organized in the 1980s to raise funds for local HIV-AIDS charities. From 1999-2005, he was a member of the Ryan White Planning Council, an organization whose goal is to improve the quality of life and advocate for those living with and/or affected by HIV.

Tom met his husband, Marc Samuels, in 2003. The two would later move to Delaware in 2012 for Tom’s retirement to be near one of his favorite vacation destinations, Rehoboth Beach. In retirement, Tom did not slow down. Since 2015, he was an active member of the Caesar Rodney Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, holding multiple officer positions. He spent a great deal of time researching and organizing family history, locating graves and documents for his family going back over 400 years. He could often be seen walking his neighborhood (targeting 10K distance per day), or with Marc at Cape Henlopen State Park.

He will be dearly missed by his husband of 19 years, Marc Samuels; their beloved cats, Rachel, Elje and Friedrich; his sons, Alexander Darius (Rose Bialecki) and Josiah Stephen Carrier (Toni Cruthirds); his sisters, Alice Glady (Fred, deceased) and JoAnne Taylor (Tom, deceased); his former spouse, Laura Jean; multiple nieces and nephews; and countless beloved friends.

Tom was predeceased by his parents, his brothers James (Lois) and Mark (Caroline); and niece, Sarah.

The family will be holding a gathering in Tom’s honor later this summer.

Donations can be made to Citizens for Animal Protection, cap4pets.org.