Obituary: Thomas Trotman, Former UMass Foundation Executive Director

Thomas Healy Trotman, 77, of Amherst, a former executive director of the UMass Foundation, died July 12.

Born March 5, 1941 in Detroit, Michigan, he attended Alma College and earned master’s degrees at the University of Michigan and UMass Amherst.

He joined the university in 1963 as a head of residence and served as a staff assistant in housing from 1966-70. He was an assistant dean of students from 1970-78. He was an Alumni Office staff member from 1974-83 and an administrator in the Development Office from1983-94.

From 1979-93, he was executive director of the UMass Foundation, the private non-profit corporation that manages the endowment of the five-campus University of Massachusetts system.

He was particularly proud of his work with the UMass Mounted Police and the Hadley Farm.

He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret Diane MacArthur Ferguson Trotman. He leaves his daughter Joan (Jody) Babilonia and her husband Marcos Babilonia of South Hadley; and sisters Shirley Daly and husband Kevin and Nancy Henry and husband Jim, all of Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Dakin Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 6307, Springfield 01101 or to Shriners Children’s Hospital C/O Helma Court No. 64 attention Pat Semb, P.O. Box 99, Erving 01344.

Calling hours will be Thursday, July 26 from 5-8 p.m. at Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst. A funeral will take place on Friday, July 27 at 10 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst with burial to follow in Wildwood Cemetery.