Susan Stuckey Thoms ’70 and David Thoms ‘70, Distinguished Service Award
Classmates and life mates (more than half a century married!) Susan and David Thoms have amplified service to others and to their alma mater by the power of two.
They labored and learned at K in the mid- to late-Sixties, the early years of the K-Plan. And they helped make that innovative program great by composing their own unique versions of it.
Susan’s included a health sciences major, career service as a research technician, study abroad in Germany, a Senior Individualized Project (SIP) on the cone cells of avian retinas, and hall-of-fame-level achievements as a Hornet swimmer (she was inducted into the College’s athletic HOF in 2019).
David’s K-Plan: history major; career service as a public works clerk in Glencoe, Ill.; study abroad in France; and a SIP on urbanization and architecture in London.
After earning a M.D. from Wayne State University, Susan practiced ophthalmology, first in private practice, and later as a clinical professor of ophthalmology at University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. Since retiring, she teaches and mentors students at the Homer Stryker School of Medicine in Kalamazoo. “Being able to improve my patients’ vision and quality of life brought me great joy,” she says.
David earned a Masters of Urban Planning from Wayne State, a J.D. from the University of Detroit, and an LLM from Wayne State. He practiced law for 44 years, his work honored with numerous professional accolades, including a “Best Lawyer in America” recognition in the areas of tax law, estate planning, estate litigation, and non-profit law. He received further recognition as non-profit lawyer of the year in Detroit and the American Bar Association Vanguard Award for contributions in the area of non-profit organization law.
Susan and David extol (in word and deed) the lifelong influence of their K-Plans. “The College prepared me for the rigor of medical school,” says Susan, “and instilled a love of learning and travel that persists to this day.”
“K fosters an openness to new ideas,” adds David “and develops the capacity to include these ideas to make them relevant and useful.”
The couple pay forward their gratitude and commitment in countless acts of service. David was a College trustee for five years; Susan continues her service into her eighth year as a member of Women’s Council. Both have long assisted students with career advice and served as mentors in law and medicine.
They have been consistent financial donors to K’s academic and athletic programs for more than 35 years and are members of the 1833 Society, the Stetson Society, and the Hornet Club.
They attend campus events and have hosted regional events in Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Washington, D.C.
Both are active in various nonprofit and community organizations, especially those that support the arts, better health, music, global diplomacy, and French-American understanding.