A Day of Remembrance for Tom Meixner

Oct. 4, 2024
By Ronald W. Marx, Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Remembrance Candle Burning Amidst Water

UPDATE 5 OCTOBER 2024: View the remembrance service on YouTube.

On Friday, October 4, our university community will remember and honor Dr. Thomas Meixner during a memorial service that will mark two years since his tragic killing on the Tucson campus on October 5, 2022. 

Dr. Meixner was an esteemed and beloved member of the university community for over 30 years. As a Professor and Head of the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, he was a world-renowned scholar, a passionate and dedicated mentor to students and a kind and supportive colleague who left an enduring impact in the hearts of all who had the privilege to know him.

We will always remember Professor Meixner and his tremendous passion for his work and caring for students and colleagues.

Memorial service on October 4

Our campus community feels deep compassion for Dr. Meixner’s immediate and extended family for their immeasurable loss. As we continue to grieve with the family, friends, and members of our community who were deeply impacted by his passing, I invite all who wish to honor Professor Meixner to attend the service that will be held in his memory next Friday. 

The Newman Center, which is a Catholic organization, has graciously offered to host this non-denominational gathering for our university community. All are welcome to be present and reflect. 

  • Friday, Oct. 4. Service begins at 11:30 a.m.
  • Doors open at 11 a.m., with music and an opportunity for reflection.
  • St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center, 1615 E. 2nd Street

The service will be livestreamed if you are unable to attend in person.

Honoring the legacy of Dr. Thomas Meixner

Last week, the College of Science appointed the first holder of the Dr. Thomas Meixner Endowed Professorship in Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, which was created as a tribute to Dr. Meixner's memory and his legacy of research and mentorship at the U of A. Dr. Jennifer McIntosh, a renowned faculty member and researcher in HAS, and a close colleague of Dr. Meixner, was selected as the inaugural appointee for the endowed professorship with the full support of the Meixner family. 

Those interested in making a gift to honor Dr. Meixner’s memory may direct their philanthropy to the Dr. Thomas Meixner Memorial Fund. This University of Arizona Foundation fund, established to honor his legacy, benefits scholarships for full-time undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Science.