Obituary of Thomas Houser

Thomas Houser, 91, of Niles, formerly of Kalamazoo, passed away on Saturday, August 14, 2021, at Brentwood at Niles. He was born on February 9, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, the only child of the late Louis and Eva (Cerny) Houser. The family experienced many challenges during the Great Depression and war years, moving frequently, with Tom often staying for months at a time at various aunts’ homes. Despite these hardships, he graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology and went on to earn his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1957. On June 6, 1953, Thomas married Carol Adair at a ceremony at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor. After graduation, he worked at Standard Oil in Hammond, Indiana, and then at Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, California. There he conducted research on rocket propellants during the Gemini space program. In 1964 he accepted a position in the Department of Chemistry at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, engaging in both teaching and research until his retirement in 1995. After retirement, Thomas and Carol traveled the world, touring Europe, China, Africa, Australia, and various islands. They discovered they loved snorkeling on a cruise in the Caribbean and continued the hobby on trips to the South Pacific. Thomas was a life-long lover of music and opera in particular. He sang in the church choir and was a member of the Opera Grand Rapids Chorus in his later years. He encouraged the musical interests of his four children, attending their performances when possible and those of his grandchildren as well. In addition to his parents, Thomas was preceded in death by Carol, his beloved wife of sixty-six years. Thomas is survived by his children, Kenneth (Kathryn) Houser of Ann Arbor, Judith (Gregory) Hill of Niles, Brian Houser of Cheney, Washington, and Janet (Christopher) Fuhrmeister of Randolph, Vermont; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Niles. A public service of Remembrance will be held on September 13th at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a private inurnment in the church columbarium. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Thomas’ memory to the Opera Grand Rapids, 1320 East Fulton, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, or to the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, 714 S. Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007.