Thomas "Thom" Gipe, 1938-2021; Was Alumnus and Former Prof. Emeritus in Art & Design
Thomas “Thom” Gipe, of Edwardsville, died Wednesday, Dec. 1. He was 83.
Gipe earned a master’s of fine arts in art sculpture from the SIUE School of Arts and Communications (now called the College of Arts and Sciences) in 1972, during which time he was a teaching assistant in the Department of Art and Design.
After a short teaching appointment at Bemidji State University, Gipe returned to SIUE in 1975. He went on to serve the University as a tenured professor of sculpture until retiring as professor emeritus in 2001.
As stated in his obituary: “Thom was a pioneer in the field of metalworking, casting, blacksmithing, and iron pouring. He helped build a nationally-known sculpture program at SIUE, which included state-of-the-art facilities and teaching programs that drew students from around the country."
A private family ceremony will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the Friends of Art SIUE, the Metal Museum of Memphis or the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
A complete obituary is available on WeberFuneralHome.com.
