Celebration of life held for SMSU professor
William Thomas July 21, 1958 – Sept. 22, 2026
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MARSHALL – In his years as a member of the Southwest Minnesota State University community, Will Thomas' impact went beyond the classroom, colleagues and students said this week.
"He led a kind, generous and principled life," said SMSU Provost Ross Wastvedt.
Family, area residents, SMSU faculty and students all gathered for a celebration of Thomas' life Monday at the university. Thomas died Sept. 22, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He was 68.
Thomas was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and his family made several moves for his father's work. Thomas attended high school in Florence, S.C., and went on to graduate from Wofford College in South Carolina. He earned his He earned his doctorate in business at UNC-Chapel Hill with a focus on accounting and financial econometrics.
Thomas was a professor of accounting for 20 years, Wastvedt said at Monday's celebration. At SMSU, Thomas showed a commitment to students and leadership in his program and department, Wastvedt said. He said Thomas was a dedicated and effective teacher, but also "a tenacious advocate for what he thought was best for the university."
"Commitment to help others has always been at the top of Will's mind," said Raphael Onyeaghala, dean of the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies at SMSU.
"He genuinely cared about the success and well-being of every student," Onyeaghala said at Monday's celebration. Onyeaghala said Thomas had retired earlier this year, only to return to teaching to help the university with an unexpected faculty vacancy this fall.
Onyeaghala said he was fortunate to attend the American Accounting Association Global Connect Conference together with Thomas, to recruit future accounting faculty. He was also glad that the trip gave Thomas a chance to spend time with his daughters Maggie and Anna.
"He was a great family man and an all-around good colleague," said Gerald Toland, economics professor at SMSU.
Toland said Thomas was generous with his time, often working one-on-one with students in addition to teaching classes.
Maria Kingsbury, faculty association president at SMSU, said Thomas was someone who made people feel included. He was also generous with his time, and had a way of asking how people were doing.
"He always got right to the heart of matters," Kingsbury said.
"He was a source of encouragement and someone I could reach out to at any time," said Andrea Hess, a former student of Thomas. At the same time, she said, Thomas always challenged her to keep learning and improving.
SMSU student Shannon Bailey said Thomas was one of the biggest supporters of the university swimming and diving team, not only attending meets but serving as a mentor for students.
"He saw us as individuals," Bailey said.
In his life, Thomas also active in service, volunteering in his children's schools, serving in nonprofits and church organizations, and taught people to swim.
Thomas was also enthusiastic about the natural world, in ways that showed in different parts of his life, colleagues said. Toland said Thomas was interested in ways that ethical accounting could be used to have a positive impact on people and the environment.
It was due to Thomas that SMSU added a sustainable accounting course to its curriculum, Toland said.
"Will loved nature, and the environment," said Elliot Vaughan, associate professor of environmental science at SMSU. Both Will and his wife Candace became master naturalists, and taught others about the natural world, he said. He also recalled Will learning about Geographic Information Systems, and being interested in how the systems could possibly overlap with accounting.
"He was so excited to teach, and work, and learn," Vaughan said.
Onyeaghala said Thomas' legacy at SMSU would live on in his students and colleagues.