Services Planned for Cal State Fullerton Prof. Floyd Thomas, 51

Memorial services are planned Thursday for Floyd W. Thomas, a Cal State Fullerton engineering professor who died at home last week after an extended illness. He was 51.

Thomas had suffered a brain tumor several years ago that continued to affect his health, university officials said Monday.

He returned to teach classes in the fall semester last year, but poor health forced him to resign, university spokesman Jerry Keating said.

Thomas joined the university as a part-time lecturer in mechanical engineering in 1968 and was appointed to a full-time professorship a year later. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina and his master’s and doctoral degrees from North Carolina State University.

Keating said Thomas was respected by students and faculty members: “He was a very caring person who not only emphasized good teaching but good interaction with students. He was known by his colleagues as being good at getting things done.”

Besides serving in several administrative posts, Thomas was an active member of the Academic Senate. Keating said that Thomas also started the Minority/Women Student Recruitment/Retention Program and other such projects.

“As a teacher, he developed many new programs and integrated computer usage into many courses,” Keating said.

Thomas is survived by his wife, Del, and a brother, Henry G. Thomas of Columbia, S.C.

The memorial service will be conducted at 4 p.m. in Mackey Auditorium of the Ruby Gerontology Center.

His wife has suggested that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to a scholarship fund for mechanical engineering students established in Thomas’ name by the CSUF Foundation.