Tomas Todd
Tomas D Todd
01 Aug 1956 - 17 May 2025
Clubs & Associations
Quick Facts
- agitated for the name change of the call "Half Breed Thru" which became "Brace Thru"
- participated in Square Dancing Stained Glass, 2004
In Their Own Words
What Squaredancing Means To Me
It was a sunny day in 1971 when my army buddy, Andy Isaacs and I decided to visit the Saigon Zoo. Just outside the gate to the zoo we could hear music coming from an open door on the second floor of a corner building on the very busy street. Luckily for us there was a wooden stairway leading straight to the music. We climbed up and looked inside and saw Vietnamese square dancing and having a great time. They approached us and invited us to join. A pretty young girl named Giselle took Andy by the hand and he followed to join in the dancing. I didn’t dance! Andy returned many times to dance with the square dancers and today still enjoys a deep friendship with many of the people that he met there.
As for me, I was content spending most of my time with the other guys of the Stak House, home to Company A, smoking from our bamboo water bongs, made by the POW’s. We were waiting to return to the States, our home. Thirty-three years later I found myself again waiting. Now the loss of many friends to Aids and me at home ill too, mostly alone, I was waiting! A local handyman once commented that he sometimes worked for gay artist Dan Smith who recently started square dancing and seemed very excited about it all. I phoned Dan who was only too glad to help. Finally came his call about new classes soon to begin.
The most difficult time was that moment I crossed the street in front of my apartment and headed to the Castro to begin my first lesson. After those first few steps there was no looking back. Just over a year now I have been dancing and meeting wonderful new friends. Waiting, yes, but now for the next time to dance!
The Caller
My window suggests a party at a barn. The design of the barn is from my dad’s farm along the Gila River. The beams of pine lumber were cut by the cowboys from the White Mountains near Morenci, my hometown in eastern Arizona. Bales of yellow straw are easy seating for country-dances. I included a circular turquoise window, which is reminiscent of the copper waters, which flow down Chase Creek near the mines. The red in the microphone and the black, white and blue bunting draped along the back wall represent our gay levi/leather community. The interior is organic, rustic and inviting, combining the contemporary with the traditional. Andy Shore is smiling and giving his usual signal for moving three quarters around the square! The rhythm of the voice of the caller/teacher and the music commands the four couples through a succession of patterns. The caller is sometimes called the ninth member of the group. The basic common language of the caller coordinates the motion and movements of the dancers into endless combinations around the dance floor. Today square dancing can be danced anywhere because of the standardized definitions, styling and timing. However, the best way to become a proficient dancer is by constant floor time.
[1]
Remembrances
A Moment to Honor My Tío Tomas
This weekend was filled with mixed emotions for our family. While we celebrated my son Giovanni’s graduation, we were also mourning a great loss—my beloved Tío Tomas, my mom’s eldest brother, who passed away unexpectedly on Friday afternoon.
Tomas was a remarkable man—a Vietnam War veteran, an early childhood educator, and a proud pioneer in many ways. Born in Morenci, Arizona, he paved his own path, earning a degree from Arizona State University and eventually settling in San Francisco, the city he called home until his final days.
His life was rich with purpose. He survived cancer more than once, always remaining vibrant, full of life, and brimming with stories—some unbelievable, all unforgettable. He’d claim to have invented the bong, taught my sons the “Dirty Dog” dance, and always made time to take the kids to place gum on the gum pole. He proudly proclaimed himself the first Gay Power Ranger. But behind all the laughter was a man of service, wisdom, and deep love—especially for our youth and our cultural heritage. Like his brother, my Tío Carlos, he was proud of where he came from and taught us to never forget our roots, even when the world didn’t always understand or accept us.
He had a big heart, and yes, he could be stubborn at times—but he was always real. Whether he was calling my niece Ashlie “Perina,” calling my cousin Sarah from Denver “Hollywood Kisses,” referring to me and my sister Cassandra as “Miss Things,” or simply sharing photos on Facebook—of people, flowers, or whatever caught his eye on his daily walks through San Francisco—he shared pieces of himself with all of us.
His final wishes were to be cremated and placed in a mausoleum in San Francisco—the city that gave him the freedom to be fully himself. Though he once considered bringing part of his ashes back to Arizona, that was only when my grandparents were still alive, especially his beloved mother, Josephine Diaz Todd. Now, he rests in peace with her and his father, Donald, along with Tío Carlos, Uncle Frank, and Johnny, and so many other family and friends who passed before him.
To those wondering why we didn’t share the news sooner, please know it was intentional. I could hear him saying to me, “Let Giovanni have his moment. Let him shine this weekend.” And that’s exactly what we did, because that’s what he would have wanted.
My Tío Tomas is gone, but his stories, his impact, and his love will continue to live on in all of us. Please feel free to reach out and let us know where you are if you'd like to receive a notification or tribute. His memory deserves to be honored by everyone who knew him.
Rest in peace, Tío. You are deeply loved and will never be forgotten.
— Christina Herrera[2]
Interesting fact about Tomas--it was Tomas who got the call "Half-Breed Thru" changed to "Brace Thru." Tomas is of part-Indian heritage and found the term offensive, so he complained to our caller, and wheels were set in motion.
— Russ King [3]
Photos
Stained glass panel "The Caller" made by him, 2004
2013
2022
