Thomas Gary Trimm

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina – Thomas Gary Trimm, age 73, died on December 3, 2020, in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, from complications from Parkinson’s Disease.

Gary was born on September 14, 1947 in Cleveland, Tennessee, to Thomas Malcolm Trimm and Geneva Clayton Trimm.  He is survived by his daughter Krista Trimm Sims, sisters Jan Trimm Hudgins (Rob) and Karen Trimm Kirk (Gary Steinhoff), five nieces and nephews, and his partner, Mary Woodmansee Green.  He was predeceased by his son Thomas Richard Trimm.

A 1969 graduate of Berry College, Gary attended graduate school (physics) at Clemson University until he joined the US Navy, serving as an officer on a nuclear submarine for six years during the Vietnam war.  He began his career at NASA and founded ATS, a start-up in the Process Control industry.  In 1987 he joined Scientific-Atlanta as leader of the Instrumentation Division in San Diego, moved to the Cable TV Division and quickly rose to Division President in charge of the Settop Box Division in Atlanta.  In 1995 he went to Southern California as CEO of Compression Labs and in 2000 as CEO of Opvista, a fiber optics company.  Gary returned to Atlanta in 2004 as CEO of Concurrent Computer Corporation where he stayed until his retirement in 2008. He went on to found Station 300, Bluffton in 2011.

Gary built his dream house by hand on Lake Hartwell, Georgia, and later retired to Hilton Head Island.  Throughout his life he was passionate about sailing, piloting his boats on Lake Hartwell, up and down the East Coast and to Bermuda.  An avid baritone, he sang in church choirs, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Jacksonville Barbershop Chorus, The Jazz Project vocal ensemble, the Hilton Head Choral Society, which he served as President, and The Mary Green Chorale as a director.  A memorial service will be scheduled once it is safe for The MGC to perform.

Gary was special to so many for his leadership, friendliness and ready smile.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation.

Arrangements are being made by Sauls’ Funeral Home in Bluffton.