Thomas G. Stanko, April 7, 2025
Tom technically is affiliated with the Class of ’70, but he was in our class, in TD, until the spring semester of our senior year. He missed our graduation because while on spring break in Bermuda, he broke his leg when he crashed his motor bike into a stone wall.
According to his son, Johnnie, Tom passed away peacefully at Johnnie’s home owing to complications of a constellation of cancers called BPDCN. Johnnie reported that there were only 4 others in the country that had the same combination of cancers that Tom had. Tom stayed active as long as he could, including skiing with his sons in Europe every year, including early March, 2025.
Tom was a wrestler at Yale, mostly at 145. As noted above, he dropped out in the Spring of ’69, and didn’t graduate with us; he returned in the Fall, graduating in January ’70.
Details from there are sparse, as he didn’t keep in close touch with classmates, and because he wasn’t technically a member of the class. We don’t have his biography from the Banner or essays from the 25th or 50th reunion books.
Tom graduated from Yale with a degree in Art in 1970, and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Colorado in 1974. Shortly thereafter, he co-founded a construction company, Harrington Stanko, which build some astonishing buildings over the years. (See portfolio of past and current homes.) His sons now run the constuction company, and have continued the tradition of high-end results: See also this article on a new $30m residence they built in Boulder, CO.
At an away wrestling match (1967 Cornell I believe) Tom and I got in a chocolate-milk drinking contest. The empty cartons were piled high, as others came over to watch the epic battle. I eventually conceded to Tom after a heroic effort, of course followed by emesis.. Those were the days.
I recall that Tom’s drinking capacity was amazing: When he pledged Beta, Tom won the martini drinking contest at somewhere between 22 and 26. I was amazed that he made it through wrestling practice the next day! I believe he was also on the Tang Cup team for TD as we fought with Silliman for the title during those years.
Tom built an addition to our former house; space for a new bedroom for additional kid. And he made a bid for the house we live in now – we didn’t hire him, because the builder we picked had a big advantage – he owned the land and could give us several concessions. But we regret we didn’t hire Tom, because was a better builder. Another good memory we have was a visit to Tom’s room in the Boulder hospital, after his motorcycle accident.
I think Tom also had the record for the fast pin ever recorded by a Yale wrestler. Something like 27 seconds if memory serves. Can’t imagine anyone since did it faster, and, if not, the record will stand forever as Yale dropped wrestling decades ago.