Thomas Grams Obituary

Durango resident and humanitarian Dr. Thomas L. Grams was killed by the Taliban on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010, in Afghanistan. He was 51.

Dr. Grams was born to Paul and Irene Grams on Feb. 7, 1959, in southern Minnesota. He grew up in various towns in Minnesota including Annandale, Chisholm and Park Rapids and graduated from Parks High School in 1977. In high school, he was a member of the National Honor Society for two years and lettered in football and track.

Dr. Grams attended the University of Minnesota at Duluth, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science and went on to earn his Doctorate of Dental Science in 1985 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

After dental school, Dr. Grams moved to Colorado Springs to work as an associate in a dental practice as well as to enjoy the mountains and milder winters than Minnesota. About two years later, he moved to Durango and became a partner with Dr. Gregory Brown in his practice. Dr. Grams eventually bought the practice and acquired several partners of his own before retiring in late 2007.

He loved the outdoor opportunities in Durango – telemark skiing, hiking, biking and paddling. He enjoyed hiking Utah's slickrock canyons. He shared these adventures with many good friends.

In 2001, Dr. Grams started working with charity organizations providing free dental care in Third World countries. He was inspired to help the less fortunate after listening to a man from Afghanistan tell of his life while fighting the seemingly endless war that tore the country apart. The torture and beatings left the man with a number of injuries and severely damaged teeth. After hearing the talk, Dr. Grams arranged to repair the man's teeth for free, which led to a long-term friendship with this man and other Afghans who live in the Albuquerque area. These friends, in conjunction with several charity groups established in Afghanistan following the U.S. invasion in 2001, led Dr. Grams to take eight trips to the country.

He worked with a number of organizations, but primarily the Afghan Relief Organization and Global Dental Relief. With their assistance, he spent several months on each of his visits living in a village or in Kabul. He helped to establish a dental clinic in Kabul, assisted the local dentist with additional training, and provided dental services to the students at the school.

Dr. Grams was a member of the Rotary Club of Durango and had attended club meetings in the last few weeks before leaving on his last trip to Afghanistan. He traveled to Ecuador with the club to provide dental care there.

"Tom Grams was truly a great man," former Rotary Club of Durango President Virginia Miller Cavanagh said. "We were thrilled and proud to have him in our Rotary Club. He lived our motto of World Peace Through Understanding. The world has lost a hero and one of the best examples of a sharing, caring human being I have ever known."

After his retirement, Dr. Grams was spending at least five months abroad each year helping with dental clinics in Nepal, India, Myanmar and Guatemala. He loved helping people with his skills, especially kids, and he loved traveling to remote regions. He treated more than 25,000 people while working with Global Dental Relief.

Dr. Grams was a candidate for the U.S. Citizen Diplomacy Award.

"He will be sorely missed by his Durango family of friends," his friends wrote.

Dr. Grams is survived by his parents, Paul and Irene Grams, of Park Rapids, Minn.; older brother, Craig Grams, of Glenallen, Alaska, and twin brother, Tim Grams, of Anchorage, Alaska.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010, in the Smiley Building Auditorium. A potluck will follow. Another service will take place at a later date in Park Rapids.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Dr. Tom Grams Memorial Fund, c/o Katy Shaw, Global Dental Relief Project, 2230 Glencoe St., Denver, CO 80207; Afghan Relief Organization, P.O. Box 866, Cypress, CA 90630; or the Dr. Tom Grams Memorial Fund, Kids 4 Afghan Kids, 9936 Hambleton, Livonia, MI 48167.