Tom Petit (1942-2008)

Today Steph and I are going to a memorial service for Tom Petit, longtime instructor at NESOP and my color fine art major instructor. He passed away almost 2 months ago but at first the news was just passed from person to person and then there was talk of a memorial service so I kept waiting to post here, kept waiting for the perfect time to pay tribute. I’m not sure there is ever a perfect time, but I feel bad about not saying anything until now.

At the 40th Anniversary Reception at NESOP, a slideshow of student/school life spanning the last several decades was on display. A few shots caught Tom being Tom, laughing, and they made me choke up a bit. I was glad to be able to catch him in his final year of teaching but I know I didn’t get even a fraction of the best of him— he started out the year not doing so well. We didn’t always see eye to eye (we have radically different ideas about what art can and should be), and in fact, I’m not sure how much he liked my work, but he respected my work ethic and he supported me. I admired his ability to not think too much and to create from his gut, to feel through his work— something I wish I could learn to do. One of his beautiful prints is on display at the NESOP show right now, one of his self-portraits that he shot in an abandoned asylum.

Here’s a picture I snapped of something he wrote on the board on one of the last weeks of school:

(As an artist, I am a maker of pictures. Artist Statement. Thomas J Petit, May 15, 2008)

Tom Petit passed away on Monday, August 4, 2008, after a long illness. Born October 22, 1942 in Doylestown, Ohio, Tom served honorably in U.S. Army Intelligence. He earned his BA in Photojournalism from Kent State University and his MFA in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Tom was a master teacher of Color Photography at Northeastern University and, of course at NESOP. Tom is survived by his former wife of 30 years, Carol Weber Petit, daughter Marie Petit, daughter Rosemarie Petit, son Edward Petit, daughter and son- in-law Lisa and Glenn Maxey, son Jason Petit, eleven grandchildren, sister Janet Petit Pollard, sister Patricia Petit Mong and brother-in-law Paul Mong, sister-in-law Janet Petit, step-brother Terry Willmott and sister-in- law Joyce Willmott, mother-in-law Eileen Weber, brother-in-law Daniel Weber and sister-in-law Jeanne Weber as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

For over 30 years, Tom’s wisdom, kindness and support had been a bright spot at NESOP and in the hearts of so many that had the distinct honor to know and work with him. In his personal image-making, Tom was not simply skilled, but fearless in his honesty and vulnerability. His willingness to share his personal and artistic challenges with others and to continue learning as a photographer inspired so many. He pushed his students to and beyond their creative limits in their photography–helping them find the strength to explore and bring their unique voices to the medium. We will forever hear Tom’s sage advice: “Trust the process.” He has permanently touched our hearts and minds, and he will be deeply missed.