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Mr. Thomas "TJ" Gaspard
Graduated 1970

Home:
1713 Bennington Drive
Carrollton, Tx. 75007

Work:
Hunt Oil Co.
Erbil, Iraq

Home Phone: 972-835-7298
Work Phone: --
Fax: --
Email: tjgdeke@gmail.com

The information below was submitted earlier by T.J. and will serve as his Living Memorial (LM) for the Beryl Shipley Tribute. Updated by Dr. Ed Dugas on Sept. 1, 2017.

I have been in the oil business for the last 35 years and have worked for Hunt Oil Company for the last 25. I now reside in Dallas, TX but I have been working in Lima, Peru for the last five years.
I have two children, Tom and Kristie and six grand kids.
I am like every other basketball player who played for Coach Shipley. I have fond memories of my days at USL. I was so very fortunate to play with some outstanding players like Jerry Flake, Elvin Ivory,Payton Townsend and Marvin Winkler. Also was able to make some friendships which I will never forget with guys like Steve Snyder,Jack Fleming, Bob Segura, Richard Tate, Ernie Lancon and many others. Of course, I stay in touch with my cajun buddies from Iowa,La.-Ken “Colo” Hebert, CJ Scheufens and Walter Gautreaux. CJ was elected Mayor of Iowa recently. Colo is working in Nigeria and Walter is still around Iowa. Ray Haney was also a Iowa product but i have heard that he recently passed away.
I will always be grateful to Coach Shipley for taking a chance on a 5ft 10in. 130 lb. small town boy. That changed my life as I would have never been able to get a college degree without that scholarship and therefore my life has been so much easier because of him taking a chance on me. He and Coach Cox were great leaders on and off the basketball court. However, my fondest memory of all my basketball years was a “try out” at the USL campus where Coach Shipley wanted to take a look at me and some other high school players. I was being guarded by a guy who kept telling me to shoot the ball and helped me through the workout and I did extremely well in the tryout and thus a scholarship. Little did I know until i came in September that the guy who helped me out was no other than Dean Church who was an All American. I have never forgotten Dean for that help.