Obituary of Thomas C. Fay

Thomas Charles (Tom) Fay, of Goshen, New York died at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on Friday June 20, 2025. He was 82 years old. Born in Poughkeepsie on May 16, 1943, Tom grew up in Port Washington, New York, alongside his siblings and cousins. He was one of seven children born to Thomas Bernard Fay, who worked for IBM, and Signe Gulbrandsen Fay, a Julliard-trained soprano who instilled a love of music in all her children. A gifted pianist from an early age, Tom was a lifelong student of music who never stopped refining his talents and developing his unique style. He studied composition at the Eastman School of Music, where he met and later married Judy Caldwell, the mother of his sons Jonathan and Michael. Tom continued his musical education at Yale University, where he earned a Masters of Musical Arts and went on to create and direct a graduate program training classical musicians in jazz improvisation techniques. By the time he left academia to become a working musician, he had developed a singular philosophy of composition and performance, drawing on a multitude of styles and musical traditions. Tom's eclectic approach meant that he was never comfortable being boxed into any one genre, but he nonetheless found success in many arenas. Tom began his performance career as a jazz pianist in established ensembles, most notably with Gerry Mulligan and Benny Goodman, before making his solo debut in 1980 to rave reviews. Writing in the New York Times, John S. Wilson lauded Tom's inventive and original style: "Listening to Mr. Fay, every tune is an adventure, a revealing re-examination of music that, more often than not, has been allowed to settle into familiar formulas." Tom's commitment to constant reinvention led him to a second career in the theater, where he was able to use his skills as a composer, performer, and improviser in a wider variety of roles. It was in this time that he met and married Annie Keefe, the mother of his daughter Elisabeth. He worked on- and off-Broadway for nearly twenty years, and was enriched by long-standing collaborative relationships with Hoagy B. Carmichael, Paul Gemignani, Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Marvin Hamlisch, Joe Di Pietro, Jamie Hammerstein, Graciela Daniele, and many others. The happiest years of Tom's life began when he met his beloved wife Karen Burns, mother of his stepdaughter Dana Cummings. He retired from performing in 2000 and moved with Karen to Goshen, where they built and ran an agency providing homecare to elderly patients. Tom made the most of his retirement, travelling extensively with Karen, and dedicating himself to his family. Tom and Karen's home in Goshen became a cherished gathering place, and Tom looked forward to the December family reunions they hosted every year. His creativity flowered, and he spent hours in his studio each day, composing thousands of hours of music, including eleven symphonies. He was a voracious reader possessed of bottomless curiosity, and he spent the final decades of his life sharing his music and interests with those he loved best, and exploring his many other talents. His debut novel, Come Again, was published by Hawes & Jenkins in 2025. Predeceased by his parents and sister Celia, Tom is survived by his wife Karen; his children Jonathan, Michael, Dana, and Elisabeth; his grandchild Dylan; his siblings Eileen, Colleen, Patricia, Mark, and Kevin, and their families; as well as a multitude of Fay, Gulbrandsen, and Engborg cousins who meant the world to him. A memorial service will be held June 26 from 1-4 pm at the Donovan Funeral Home (86 S. Church Street, Goshen, NY). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the International Rescue Committee.