Thomas Stanley Yates, 22, died Sunday, May 29, at his home on McClure St., Clarksville, due to an accidental overdose.
A memorial gathering will be held at Greenwood Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 5.
Thomas was born October 4, 1988 in Liverpool, England, to parents Sarah Rebekah and Stanley Yates. The family moved to Texas in 1990, where his sister, Ysabel, was born, and shortly afterwards to Adams, TN, where Thomas spent the majority of his childhood.
Thomas and his sister were home schooled, giving Thomas the freedom to explore the many things that interested him. An early interest in theater and singing revealed his exceptional memory skills, musical talent, and charisma. He learned to play the piano, organ, and guitar, and became a prodigious creative writer and creator of art works of many types.
Thomas began taking classes at Austin Peay State University at age 15. During this time he was also a scholarship student at Duke University Medical Science summer programs and the Creative Writer’s National Workshop at Bard College, NY.
Becoming a pre-pharmacy major at APSU, Thomas continued to write, create art works, and compose many styles of music, performing often in the Clarksville area. “Everything he did was art,” Sarah Rebekah said about her son. “He was the most talented person I’ve ever known, and in so many ways,” his father added.
One of Thomas’ closest friends described him as having “frenetic, kinetic, magnetic radiance, and huge, insurmountable kindness.”
His sister describes him as "having as much love, passion and creativity in 22 years to fill many life times."
Thomas himself wrote that “The soul is real in the sense that we are able to be creative, beautiful, and kind.”
Thomas is survived by Sarah Rebekah, Stanley Yates, Ysabel Yates and Sun Ra.
In lieu of flowers, to support local art and music please send donations to the Coup, 819 Crossland Avenue
Clarksville, TN 37043