Thomas Van Gessel
July 23, 1932 — July 6, 2025
Thomas Van Gessel moved on from a wonderful earthly life on July 6, 2025. Indeed, every day had a positive component for Tom, the ultimate optimist whose rallying cry was “it’s all about attitude”. This outlook allowed a poor Grand Rapids kid to see the opportunity to grow and learn in every one of his jobs. His natural inclination to connect with people and embrace challenges propelled him to success in all of his endeavors, but particularly the music recording business where he flourished with Columbia Record Productions.
Tom was born July 23, 1932 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Anthony Van Gessel and Frances (Van Luyn) Van Gessel. The youngest of seven children, he grew up fast to keep up with his siblings. Tom attended Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids where he excelled in basketball and baseball and managed the football team. He started working at age 12 taking on jobs at a gas station, cutting ice for resident ice boxes and catching minnows for the bait store at Blue Lake, setting pins at the local bowling alley, and filling juke boxes for the burgeoning coin operated machine business of his brother Bill.
While attending Grand Rapids Junior College, he met his lovely and loving wife- to-be, Jessica. Their courtship was briefly interrupted by Tom’s enlisting in the Navy and a stint on the USS Arcadia during the Korean War. Post-war, Tom attended the University of Michigan on the GI Bill and developed a lifelong love for U of M, Ann Arbor, and all things related to Michigan sports. There he received a fellowship in psychology, teaching behavioral psych, and finished his degree in business and psychology while working summers at the GM assembly line.
In 1957, Tom, now married with a son, graduated into a dismal economy but was fortunate to circle back to his older brother’s juke box business which had recently added a record store. Younger brother Tom knew the most popular music to stock. Interacting with music salesmen, Tom got his big break when he was recruited for a job with Capitol Records. Success at Capitol led to an offer from Columbia Records which would eventually tap Tom for marketing their national production and distribution services to independent music producers ranging from a “garage band” promoter who suddenly landed his client on the Billboard charts to Barry Gordy at Motown Records. This resulted in an incredible accumulation of lifelong relationships with some of the most colorful personalities in the music business.
It was 1968, and Tom took his family of five from Southfield, MI to Stamford, CT from where he commuted daily into Manhattan for his new job with Columbia. Tom rode the wave of technology changes from LPs & 45s to 8-Tracks, cassettes, and CD/DVDs throughout his career. There were many glamorous aspects of the business such as rubbing elbows with music celebrities but Tom always kept his eye on what mattered…serving the customer.
While living in CT, Tom, Jess and kids embraced the Northeast and enjoyed numerous years skiing in VT and summer trips to Maine, Cape Cod, and the Jersey Shore. A crackling fire on cold VT winter nights and lobsters by the seashore were some of Tom’s simple yet treasured pleasures.
The technology of streaming ultimately put an end to the mass production of music and information recordings. The timing for retirement was right, and Tom and Jess moved onto their beloved role as grandparents with traveling and local volunteering rounding out their very full lives. A “wonderful” journey, Tom would call it.
Tom leaves behind his three children, David Van Gessel (Frances), Douglas Van Gessel (Arline), Ann Loughran (Peter), and his seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Jessica, and his siblings, Bill Van Gessel, Eunice (Van Gessel) Mitus, Ed Van Gessel, Fran Van Gessel, Jerry Van Gessel, and Robert Van Gessel. A Funeral Mass will be held at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Stamford, CT on July 19, 2025 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Bartlett Arboretum or Stamford Hospital Foundation Cardiac Care.
Tom was born July 23, 1932 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Anthony Van Gessel and Frances (Van Luyn) Van Gessel. The youngest of seven children, he grew up fast to keep up with his siblings. Tom attended Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids where he excelled in basketball and baseball and managed the football team. He started working at age 12 taking on jobs at a gas station, cutting ice for resident ice boxes and catching minnows for the bait store at Blue Lake, setting pins at the local bowling alley, and filling juke boxes for the burgeoning coin operated machine business of his brother Bill.
While attending Grand Rapids Junior College, he met his lovely and loving wife- to-be, Jessica. Their courtship was briefly interrupted by Tom’s enlisting in the Navy and a stint on the USS Arcadia during the Korean War. Post-war, Tom attended the University of Michigan on the GI Bill and developed a lifelong love for U of M, Ann Arbor, and all things related to Michigan sports. There he received a fellowship in psychology, teaching behavioral psych, and finished his degree in business and psychology while working summers at the GM assembly line.
In 1957, Tom, now married with a son, graduated into a dismal economy but was fortunate to circle back to his older brother’s juke box business which had recently added a record store. Younger brother Tom knew the most popular music to stock. Interacting with music salesmen, Tom got his big break when he was recruited for a job with Capitol Records. Success at Capitol led to an offer from Columbia Records which would eventually tap Tom for marketing their national production and distribution services to independent music producers ranging from a “garage band” promoter who suddenly landed his client on the Billboard charts to Barry Gordy at Motown Records. This resulted in an incredible accumulation of lifelong relationships with some of the most colorful personalities in the music business.
It was 1968, and Tom took his family of five from Southfield, MI to Stamford, CT from where he commuted daily into Manhattan for his new job with Columbia. Tom rode the wave of technology changes from LPs & 45s to 8-Tracks, cassettes, and CD/DVDs throughout his career. There were many glamorous aspects of the business such as rubbing elbows with music celebrities but Tom always kept his eye on what mattered…serving the customer.
While living in CT, Tom, Jess and kids embraced the Northeast and enjoyed numerous years skiing in VT and summer trips to Maine, Cape Cod, and the Jersey Shore. A crackling fire on cold VT winter nights and lobsters by the seashore were some of Tom’s simple yet treasured pleasures.
The technology of streaming ultimately put an end to the mass production of music and information recordings. The timing for retirement was right, and Tom and Jess moved onto their beloved role as grandparents with traveling and local volunteering rounding out their very full lives. A “wonderful” journey, Tom would call it.
Tom leaves behind his three children, David Van Gessel (Frances), Douglas Van Gessel (Arline), Ann Loughran (Peter), and his seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Jessica, and his siblings, Bill Van Gessel, Eunice (Van Gessel) Mitus, Ed Van Gessel, Fran Van Gessel, Jerry Van Gessel, and Robert Van Gessel. A Funeral Mass will be held at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Stamford, CT on July 19, 2025 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Bartlett Arboretum or Stamford Hospital Foundation Cardiac Care.
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