Obituary for Thomas E. Tarvin
Thomas E. Tarvin passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on the evening of April 3, 2021 after a long, brutal, and courageously fought battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife and love of his life, Deborah (Reeves) Tarvin, his children Brittany (Tarvin) Young (Whitney Young), Ryan Tarvin, grandsons Hazen and Reeve, his brother Timothy Tarvin, and his nephews and niece. He is preceded in death by his parents Thelma and Milton Tarvin, his sister Mary Teresa ("Terry"), his twin brother Theodore, and his brother Todd.
An artist from a young age, Tom gifted us with his creativity and talent in many different forms over his 66 years. After studying art at the Central Academy for Commercial Art where he had a passion for oil painting and figure drawing, he went on to launch a successful career of 35+ years in advertising as a creative director, and later sole proprietor and freelance designer. He worked on major campaigns at Leo Burnett Chicago and Sive/Young & Rubicam, including the New York International Print Festival Gold Award winning Kahn's Adoration Ad, national campaigns for Kellogg's, Merrel Dow, and Kenner toys, and other local and regional campaigns including Compuserve, Kings Island, Semco, Provident Bank, and many others. He was also proud of his work helping to name and launch Frontgate catalog. Later in his retirement, Tom rediscovered his love and more often his complete disgust for oil painting.
Tom worked tirelessly at perfecting his art by reading books, watching videos, studying the greats, painting with his friends at the Cincinnati Art Club where he was a Signature Member, and talking about all of it at nauseum to anyone within earshot. Tom saw the world a bit differently. He noticed things that other people didn't the absence of color, the sloppy lines, the details that were missed. It was his dedication to the craft, and the lens through which he operated, that allowed Tom to offer the world his beautiful works that were showcased at the Cincinnati Art Club and art shows and exhibits around town.
But if you ever asked Tom about his proudest achievement, he would certainly tell you it was his two children, Brittany and Ryan, who he adored. He would also tell you that Ryan will be carrying on the oil-painting tradition, but we highly suggest that you don't hold your breath on that one.
Tom met the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Debbie, in the 1970s. The way she tells it, he was tall, handsome, interesting, and maybe a little shy, but they were drawn to each other. Even when she played hard to get he would tell her You can keep doing that, but I'm not gonna give up. They married in 1979 and though she hated playing cards with him, they never looked back.
As a father, Tom was skilled at the role of awkward and embarrassing camcorder dad at every single ballet recital, basketball game, or concert. He definitely dozed off, snoring loudly, during more than one performance, but he never missed the important parts. He was his kiddos biggest fan, always there to capture every memory with pride.
He was also known for being a big toy because he loved to make up games, and be goofy first with his own children, and later with his grandsons. Tom could turn a laundry basket into an incredible adventure or keep an entire group of people entertained while waiting for dinner at a restaurant with just a piece of paper and a pencil. The sillier the game, the more he seemed to enjoy it.
When he wasn't using his creativity to keep things fun and interesting, Toms ruthless perfectionism took the wheel. Walk into his house on any given day and you might hear him critiquing a PGA tour golfers swing, yelling sons of a bitches at the TV because the movie was too predictable, or overexplaining the right way to replace, and date, an air filter while properly discarding the old one. He demanded high standards because he saw the potential of what could be. He wanted things done right and encouraged those around him to never settle for less than their best work. His kids are forever grateful for this lifelong lesson.
We will miss his goofy ideas, his creative mind, his strong opinions, his borderline reckless driving (because if they hug the line you gotta hug it back), and his appreciation for a fine meal and glass of bourbon. His affinity for dessert, which always had to be death by chocolate, will forever mean we cant enjoy a piece of cake without thinking of him.
We will feel the pain of his absence now, but we will appreciate and revel in the beautiful art he left to share with the world. We invite you to view some of his life's work at https://www.tomtarvin.com
In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation in his memory to support young artists through ArtWorks Cincinnati (https://www.artworkscincinnati.org) or to support the groundbreaking research funded by the Lung Cancer Foundation of America (https://lcfamerica.org).
A celebration of Tom's life will be announced at a later date.
An artist from a young age, Tom gifted us with his creativity and talent in many different forms over his 66 years. After studying art at the Central Academy for Commercial Art where he had a passion for oil painting and figure drawing, he went on to launch a successful career of 35+ years in advertising as a creative director, and later sole proprietor and freelance designer. He worked on major campaigns at Leo Burnett Chicago and Sive/Young & Rubicam, including the New York International Print Festival Gold Award winning Kahn's Adoration Ad, national campaigns for Kellogg's, Merrel Dow, and Kenner toys, and other local and regional campaigns including Compuserve, Kings Island, Semco, Provident Bank, and many others. He was also proud of his work helping to name and launch Frontgate catalog. Later in his retirement, Tom rediscovered his love and more often his complete disgust for oil painting.
Tom worked tirelessly at perfecting his art by reading books, watching videos, studying the greats, painting with his friends at the Cincinnati Art Club where he was a Signature Member, and talking about all of it at nauseum to anyone within earshot. Tom saw the world a bit differently. He noticed things that other people didn't the absence of color, the sloppy lines, the details that were missed. It was his dedication to the craft, and the lens through which he operated, that allowed Tom to offer the world his beautiful works that were showcased at the Cincinnati Art Club and art shows and exhibits around town.
But if you ever asked Tom about his proudest achievement, he would certainly tell you it was his two children, Brittany and Ryan, who he adored. He would also tell you that Ryan will be carrying on the oil-painting tradition, but we highly suggest that you don't hold your breath on that one.
Tom met the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Debbie, in the 1970s. The way she tells it, he was tall, handsome, interesting, and maybe a little shy, but they were drawn to each other. Even when she played hard to get he would tell her You can keep doing that, but I'm not gonna give up. They married in 1979 and though she hated playing cards with him, they never looked back.
As a father, Tom was skilled at the role of awkward and embarrassing camcorder dad at every single ballet recital, basketball game, or concert. He definitely dozed off, snoring loudly, during more than one performance, but he never missed the important parts. He was his kiddos biggest fan, always there to capture every memory with pride.
He was also known for being a big toy because he loved to make up games, and be goofy first with his own children, and later with his grandsons. Tom could turn a laundry basket into an incredible adventure or keep an entire group of people entertained while waiting for dinner at a restaurant with just a piece of paper and a pencil. The sillier the game, the more he seemed to enjoy it.
When he wasn't using his creativity to keep things fun and interesting, Toms ruthless perfectionism took the wheel. Walk into his house on any given day and you might hear him critiquing a PGA tour golfers swing, yelling sons of a bitches at the TV because the movie was too predictable, or overexplaining the right way to replace, and date, an air filter while properly discarding the old one. He demanded high standards because he saw the potential of what could be. He wanted things done right and encouraged those around him to never settle for less than their best work. His kids are forever grateful for this lifelong lesson.
We will miss his goofy ideas, his creative mind, his strong opinions, his borderline reckless driving (because if they hug the line you gotta hug it back), and his appreciation for a fine meal and glass of bourbon. His affinity for dessert, which always had to be death by chocolate, will forever mean we cant enjoy a piece of cake without thinking of him.
We will feel the pain of his absence now, but we will appreciate and revel in the beautiful art he left to share with the world. We invite you to view some of his life's work at https://www.tomtarvin.com
In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation in his memory to support young artists through ArtWorks Cincinnati (https://www.artworkscincinnati.org) or to support the groundbreaking research funded by the Lung Cancer Foundation of America (https://lcfamerica.org).
A celebration of Tom's life will be announced at a later date.