Thomas Reich

May 22, 2021

Thomas Reich, 80, died peacefully in his West Hartford home Saturday after a long illness. Tom was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1940 and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, and received his undergraduate degree at the University of Charleston and an MBA at Marshall University. He later received an honorary doctorate from the University of Charleston. Moving to the Hartford area as a young adult, Tom joined Underwriters Service Agency, a marketer of impaired risk and specialty insurance, where he later became president. He was a regent and later life regent of the University of Hartford. He was an avid supporter of the Hartford Hawks, holding season tickets to men’s and women’s basketball games and frequently attending many other sports contests. He and his wife Suzy funded scholarships for student athletes and improvements to the University’s athletic facilities. For some time he chaired the athletics committee of the Board of Regents. He also served on the board of the Hartford Symphony for several years. Tom was predeceased by his first wife, Barbara Jesterby, and is survived by his brother, Joseph. Tom is also survived by his wife, Susan, a son, Jonathan, and two grandchildren, Jack and Madeline Reich. He is also survived by Susan’s children: Lauren Spangler, and her children, Paige and Blair; and Lindsay Skrmetta, and her children, Reid and Molly. The funeral will be held Monday at 11:00 a.m. at Congregation Beth Israel, 701 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, followed by a reception at Tumble Brook Country Club. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Tom’s memory be made to the University of Charleston, 2300 MacCorkle Ave SE, Charleston, WV 25304.