December 15, 2003
In Memoriam
UCSC Foundation trustee Thomas Rees dies at 78
Thomas Rees, a UCSC trustee since 1998 and former member of the Friends of Long Marine Laboratory board, died of cancer on December 9. He was 78.
"UC Santa Cruz has lost a special friend," Chancellor M.R.C.
Greenwood said. "Our campus benefited greatly from Tom Rees's many
years of service as a trustee of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation. Individuals
who are elected to public office are generally addressed as ‘the
honorable,’ and Tom truly exemplified the qualities that deserve
that respect. We will always be grateful for the privilege of knowing
and working with such a distinguished gentleman."
Rees, an attorney who retired to Santa Cruz County in the 1980s, served in the California Assembly and Senate as well as the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Los Angeles County. First elected to the Assembly in 1954, Rees was an outspoken liberal on civil rights and loyalty oaths, among other issues. Rees won a special election to Congress in 1965, where he was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War. He retired from Congress in 1976.
A memorial service will be arranged later.
The family prefers that memorial donations be made to the Friends of Long Marine Lab or to Hospice of Santa Cruz County.
"Former Representative Tom Rees dies" (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Thomas Rees, 78; Democrat Was Outspoken Congressman (Los Angeles Times)
