The UVa Music Department and the Charlottesville Symphony Society recently bade a sad farewell to a man whose leadership and passion for the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia will have a lasting impact on the organization. Thomas C. MacAvoy was a beloved member of the Charlottesville Symphony Society Board of Directors for many years, serving as Board President and Trustee Emeritus. Tom and his wife Peggy endowed the MacAvoy Flute Chair and the MacAvoy Fund for Scholarships. “Tom loved classical music,” said Janet Kaltenbach, Executive Director of the Charlottesville Symphony Society. “He gave the symphony his time, leadership, ingenuity and financial resources with great dedication and joy. He will be greatly missed.”

Tom MacAvoy’s support for the arts at UVa extended well beyond the Music Department, playing an important leadership role for the entire arts spectrum. “Tom was one of the early founders of the Arts Council at the University,” said former Arts Council Chair, Steve Smiley. “His interest in the arts was broad and his judgment keen. He was most interested in what was best for the students, first and foremost.” Mr. MacAvoy retired to Charlottesville after a successful career as a chemist and executive at Corning Glass Works in New York. He joined the Darden faculty, and also served as the Director of the University of Virginia Patent Foundation.