Legacy Project
Article by Archivist Br. Lawrence Stewart

November 7th

Brother Thomas James Balthazor, C.S.C.

Thomas was born in Fond du Lac, WI and attended Catholic schools there. He joined Holy Cross in 1958. Upon graduation he was a staff member at St. Joseph School and camp counselor. A multi-talented and highly professional person he was always generous with his time and expertise. He began an active life as a cook at Columba Hall at Notre Dame, and food service manager at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, OH. He studied for three years at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, and then worked at St. Charles Boys Home Milwaukee, Wi, taught at Holy Trinity in Chicago, IL, and then began his long years of service at Gibault School in Terr Haute, IN in 1969 where he spent 11 years and was director from 1975-1981. He began social work studies at Barry University in Miami, Fl, and then worked at the Family and Children's Center in Mishawaka, IN, where he was a social worker and vice president from 1986-1989. He took the position of supervisor of the Center's Sexual Abuse Treatment Program and became a clinical social worker with Psychology Associates in South Bend, IN. He was the co-founder of the Holy Cross Counseling Group in South Bend, IN and a clinical social worker there for 6 years. Thomas was recognized in northern Indiana as the top expert in the field of sexual abuse counseling and belonged to a number of national counseling organizations and served as board member at two centers. Even after retirement, he maintained his counseling practice and Thomas died of an apparent heart attack while he was facilitating a group counseling session.