Obituary of Thomas Patrick Birch

Funeral Service Friday, Apr 27, 2018 10:00 AM Thomas Patrick Birch April 06, 1959 - April 10, 2018 Tom Birch, PhD, was a dedicated teacher, coach, family-man, and spiritual seeker. From his earliest days to his last, he was committed to serving his students, colleagues, union, military community, parish, and family with joy and love. Tom was an educator for 37 years. He taught English, Spanish, Social Studies, English as a Second Language, and Advancement Via Individual Determination (also known as AVID), in Houston, South Korea, Turkey, Bahrain, the Azores, and Spain, before becoming assistant principal at SHAPE American High School. For more than two decades, he took a leadership role in school improvement, focusing on methods of teaching and learning and their results for student achievement. He was especially honored to teach English to Afghani military and mentor Afghani teachers during his deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, from 2013 to 2014. Tom completed his doctorate at Utah State University in 2006, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Rice University (1981) and a master’s degree from the University of Houston (1986). His passion for authentic learning is evidenced not only by multiple teaching awards but also the love and growth of his students over the past 30 years. Tom was a proud Knight of Columbus and devoted Catholic who left this world filled with faith, hope, love, and wonder. His passion for the Mass and our Blessed Mother - like his passion for good teaching and social justice - were contagious and inspiring. Tom was preceded in death by his father and mother, Fernando Francis and Gloria; step-mother, Virginia; brother, John; father-in-law, Leo; and sister-in-law, Elisabeth. His spirit and faith will live on in his wife, Anne; children, Ian, Kelly, and Ellen; daughter- and son-in-law, Erika and Peter; grandchildren; and brother and sisters, as well as the many others whose lives he touched. Tom was buried at Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Dickinson, Texas, on April 27th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Food for the Poor.