"I just now found out he passed away. His classes were hard and he forced me to expand my horizons but he will always be my favorite professor. He lives on in my thoughts."
In loving memory of
Gary Thurston
March 5, 1941 - March 18, 2017
Gary Jay Thurston, 76, formerly of Wakefield, Rhode Island, died Saturday March 18 at his residence at Stratford Senior Living Center, Carmel, IN. Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 22, 2017, at First United Methodist Church, in Marshalltown. An additional memorial service will be held in Wakefield, RI, at a later date. Arrangements are entrusted to Anderson Funeral Homes, 405 W. Main St., Marshalltown. Contributions may be made to Doctors Without Borders (doctorswithoutborders.org), P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD, 21741, in honor of Gary J. Thurston. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com
His parents, Jean Calmer Thurston and Orville W. Thurston, preceded him in death. He is survived by his three brothers, Paul W. Thurston (Catherine), Savoy, IL; Stan G. Thurston (Dotty), Des Moines, IA; and Dr. Lloyd Thurston (Allison), Broomfield, CO. He is also survived by a niece and nine nephews, Rachel Goddard (Jeff), Carmel, IN; Paul Thurston, Jr. (Ramona Powell), Chicago, IL; Michael Thurston (Nicole Griglione), Waukesha, WI; Dan Thurston (Ashley), Eden Prairie, MN; Adam Thurston (Melinda Jenkins-Moore), Ames, IA; Ben Thurston, Sedona, AZ; Nathan Thurston (Jessica), Des Moines, IA; Thomas Thurston (Kelli), Marshalltown, IA; Will Thurston, Broomfield, CO; Jack Thurston, Broomfield, CO; and a maternal aunt, Lois Timmons, Cherokee, IA. In addition, his step nieces and nephews include Kelly Whiting (Trever), Ankeny, IA; Molly Harris (David), Franklin, TN; Abby Goodman, Newport Beach, CA; Lauren Bumpus, Ames, IA; Brianne and Alex Bumpus, Broomfield, CO.
Gary was born in Spencer, Iowa, in 1941, attended schools in Marshalltown, Iowa and graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1958 as a National Merit Finalist. He graduated with honors in history and as Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College in 1962. He received a masters degree (1965) and PhD. (1973) in history from Columbia University. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvards Ukrainian Research Institute and conducted research in post-Soviet Russia.
He retired from the University of Rhode Island in 2011 as Emeritus Professor, where he had been a faculty member specializing in Russian and European History since 1966. A gifted writer and researcher, he authored The Popular Theater Movement in Russia, 1862-1919 as well as numerous professional essays, reviews and publications.
He was the family historian, an avid gardener, and a gourmet cook. He was an enthusiastic international traveler. Gary had a deep appreciation for music and the arts, and for many years he was a season ticket holder for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A beloved brother and supportive uncle, he was closely involved with the lives of his niece and nephews, hosting them in Rhode Island and through travel, always emphasizing the importance of hard work and the value of higher education. Despite his many accomplishments, he remained modest and humble. All of his extended family share a deep sense of loss in his passing.
Tributes
"I have no idea if anyone will even see this over three years after the fact but I just saw this today and have something to say. I was at URI in the mid 90s and really the only professor I remember well was Gary Thurston. Because I loved the subject matter so much I sought him out during office hours now and again just to ask questions and glean whatever I could. He was of course a very reserved man but I think he enjoyed my periodic visits. At least I hope he did. I actually finally looked for him so I could tell him that but I?m over three years too late. So I hope at least this means something to anyone who cared about him that may come across it. Thank you Professor ??"
"Gary was for twenty years my colleague in the History Department at the University of Rhode Island. He was congenial, smart, and funny. He seemed to know something about everything, and he had a wicked sense of humor, as we say here in Rhode Island. I shall always remember his sweet smile."
"I visited Aunt Lois Thurston when she was in a senior center in Iowa City, Iowa. Each time, she recalled when she visited Gary in Rhode Island. Gary wanted Aunt Lois to choose the lobsters for dinner. Lois said that she was a farm girl from Fern and could pick out ears of corn, not lobster. She really enjoyed her visit. She let Gary pick out the lobsters. I remember being surprised to see Gary lying on the couch in Grandma Thurston's house. He was reading a book and writing in red-ink pen into a notebook. I had never seen Gary at Grandma's house, before. It was almost like I thought Dennis and I were the only grandkids to visit Grandma. I knew who he was; but Grandma Thurston formally introduced us. I think the idea was to let him study and not bother him; but Gary acknowledged me, a little kid. Aunt Wini Thurston was so glad when Gary stopped by to see her when he was on his way to Manson to a family reunion. I cannot remember the last time that I saw Gary. Connie Bodtke (Thurston) and I were both wondering if he was still in Rhode Island. "
"Professor Thurston will be sadly missed. He was my undergrad advisor in the History department at URI and, had it not been for his advice, I might never have gone into teaching. I literally stumbled over this sad news yesterday when I was telling a story about one of his classes to a young URI student teacher. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. He was a wonderful teacher."
"Gary was a wonderful colleague for forty years. We shared stories about growing up in the Midwest, attending small liberal arts colleges, traveling in Europe, and discovering the joys of classical music. I will miss him. "
"I am deeply pained by Gary's passing. We were colleagues in the History Department at URI. Gary was an extremely private person but we shared some delicious meals together (we compared recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon) accompanied by excellent wines. Gary delighted in good conversation, accompanied by good food and drink. Gary was a true esthete. In addition to food, he loved everything European, including classical music. He also loved to travel, and we would exchange tales of our adventures. He had such a distinctive voice! I am offering my condolences to his family that he loved dearly and bragged about, and know that I share your pain, a great loss. Jolle Rollo-Koster, URI "
" I cleaned Orville and Jean Thurston's home for many years. I looked forward to Gary's visits when he would come home to see his parents. I remember him being so soft spoken and was such a good listener. He had such a tender heart like his Mother. My thoughts and prayers are with his brothers, Paul, Stan, and Lloyd and their families. "