Submitted by: Dan Rich

Br. Thomas James Balthazor CSC

Feb. 12, 1940 - Nov. 7, 2001

South Bend Tribune 11/9/2001

Brother Thomas James Balthazor, CSC,61, died of an apparent heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 7, in LaPorte, Ind., while facilitating a group counseling session. He was born on Feb. 12, 1940, in Fond du Lac, Wis., the son of Clarence and Dorothy (Dobyns) Balthazor. He is survived by a brother, J ohn, and a sister, Ellen. Brother Thomas attended Catholic schools in Fond du Lac, and after graduation was employed briefly as a staff person at St. Joseph School and at Camp Stronghead near Fond du Lac.

He joined the Brothers of Holy Cross at Watertown, Wis., in June 1958, received the habit of the brothers Aug. 15, 1958, pronounced temporary vows on Aug. 16 the following year, and his perpetual vows on Aug. 16, 1962. Multi-talented, highly professional in all he did, and extraordinarily generous with his time and expertise, Brother Thomas was a chef at Columba Hall, Notre Dame, Ind., from 1959-61, with a brief time-out as food service manager of Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio. He studied at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, from 1961-64, and was assigned to the staff of St. Charles Boys Home, Milwaukee, Wis., for the 1964-65 year. From 1965-68 he taught at Holy Trinity High School, Chicago, Ill., then was a staff member at Fr. Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute, Ind., from 1969-71, when he was named principal of the school there for the 1971-72 academic year.

From 1972-73 he was director of the Clay Township Neighborhood Center in South Bend, Ind., then returned to Fr. Gibault School from 1973-81 and was director there from 1975-81. He then took a sabbatical for social work studies at Barry University in Miami, Fla., and acted as a political consultant in Terre Haute from 1982-83. He worked on the staff of the Family and Children's Center, Mishawaka, Ind., for some months in 1983, then returned to studies at Barry College the remainder of the academic year 1983-84. He went back to Fr. Gibault School as administrative assistant in charge of fiscal affairs from June- April 1985, then returned to the Family and Children's Center as a social worker from 1985-86, as vice president from 1986-89, and supervisor of the Center's Sexual Abuse Treatment Program from 1989-1990. He became a clinical social worker with Psychology Associates in South Bend from 1990-1993, and was co-founder of the Holy Cross C ounseling Group, South Bend, and was a clinical social worker there from 1993 until his retirement two years ago. He remained as a clinical consultant with the center up to the time of his death.

Brother Thomas was recognized in northern Indiana as the top expert in the field of sexual abuse counseling. His reputation, however, was nationally acknowledged. He belonged to counseling organizations such as the A.T.S.A., A.P.S.A.C. and M.R.N.I.S.O., and was on the board of Casie Center and Ducomb Center.

Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, in St. Joseph's Chapel, the brothers' Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame, 54515 State Road 933. A Mass of the Resurrection will follow at 2:30 p.m., with burial immediately afterward at St. Joseph's Cemetery on the village grounds. The Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling arrangements.