Our community is saddened to learn that Thomas C. Barnett, a member of the class of 2007, died at his home in Chapel Hill on Tuesday evening, June 5 after entering hospice care on May 24. During the Baccalaureate service on May 18, President Lambert presented Thomas with the Elon Medallion, which is awarded at the discretion of the president to members of the university community who have rendered loyal and meritorious service to Elon. Thomas is the first student ever to receive the Elon Medallion.
The award citation read in part: “Blessed with a brilliant mind, a near-photographic memory, and superb writing skills, Thomas could be successful in any number of fields. However, he continued to pursue his dream of a career as a graphic designer and elected to major in digital art. The faculty of the Elon art department variously describe Thomas as ‘phenomenal,’ ‘meticulous,’ and ‘relentless,’ setting high standards for himself and insisting that his artistic vision be represented exactly.”
In addition to stellar success in his academic endeavors, Thomas was a leader in the campaign for public accessibility awareness. He served as technical advisor to the University of North Carolina ACCESS Project, an assessment of wheelchair accessibility on the sixteen UNC campuses. Thomas provided similar advocacy at Elon, reminding the university of its responsibility to make the campus accessible to everyone.
In October of his senior year, Thomas suffered a heart attack and stroke that prevented the continuation of his studies. Thomas suffered from Friedrich’s Ataxia, a disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. Thomas and his family have requested that memorials be sent to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), P.O. Box 1537, Springfield, Va. 22151.
A memorial service will be held at United Church of Chapel Hill at 3 p.m., Sunday, July 1. Condolences may be sent to his parents: Paige and Bill Barnett, 307 N. Elliott Rd., Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514.