Remembering Thomas

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: Winter 2024

Thomas Taulbee and Chambers

“We here at The Laurel are are as stunned as you are by the loss of Thomas Taulbee, the executive director of the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce, on November 26.

Thomas was born in 1963, in Delaware and grew up in Coral Gables, Florida, and graduated from the University of Miami. He moved to the Cashiers area in 2013.

On his daily leisurely stroll with his beloved dog Chambers on November 26, Thomas passed away.

Thomas was a passionate fly-fisher and loved spending his time in the rushing streams that wind through the Plateau. His patience, diligence, and deft roll cast proved formidable, with the experience of fellowship within his trout gang among his most cherished times.

The patience that he cultivated pursuing trout was called into play with his other passion — a yoga practitioner and instructor, Thomas was able to present his teachings and guidance at Cashiers Valley Fusion Yoga and Wellness.

“I had the sweet pleasure of meeting Thomas in November of 2012 when he dropped into my yoga studio and took a class with me,” said his friend and the owner of Cashiers Valley Fusion Yoga and Wellness, Mary Abranyi. “After the class, we engaged in a long conversation about our mutual love of teaching yoga and swapped stories about teaching in a small town and for him, in a big city. He also told me he was considering a move and asked me lots of questions about life on the mountain. By the time the conversation was over, I had offered him a teaching position if he ever decided to make the move.

“In May 2014 Thomas made the move to Cashiers and has been a part of our Fusion family ever since, teaching and sharing his love of yoga and anatomy. He often laughed with his students about being an anatomy nerd and would lead his classes with a technical twist that focused on structural alignment. He knew the immense benefits of doing the work on the yoga mat and wanted each student that practiced with him to experience the same joy he had experienced since beginning his yoga journey.

“Off the mat, Thomas was also a leader as his passion for bringing bodies into alignment spilled over into the Cashiers community. He often worked tirelessly at aligning people and their positions and ideas for the betterment of our small mountain town. His tenacity and infectious personality will be missed and he will continue to be a shining light and inspiration for years to come.”

“We will grieve, and then we will reflect, and then we will celebrate.

Thomas was loved and admired by so many,” said his family.

Thomas (far right) with his family: James, TK, Susan, and Tim.

Let’s hear from them:

“Thomas was not only a chamber colleague but also a dear friend,” said former Chamber Executive Director Stephanie Edwards, whom Thomas succeeded. “We shared many laughs and sometimes tears over the years. He will be remembered with great affection and hopefully our community will always reflect his generous spirit.”

His Chamber co-worker Susan Gregory had this to say about her friend:

“Thomas championed our community through relationships; in life and death, he brought us together, and together we’re better. A dear friend, Maggie Carton, said it best when she told me she had stopped saying how much we would miss Thomas and, instead, how much we would remember him. His generous spirit touched so many organizations, people, and initiatives. His efforts created a Venn diagram of the community with Thomas at the center. Thomas left an indelible mark on our community and our hearts.”

Or here’s what Village Green Executive Director Ashlie Mitchell, who found herself working alongside Thomas on numerous occasions, had to say:

“Thomas Taulbee was one of my best and dearest friends. Our time spent together was always filled with laughter, warmth, and joy. He was the person that I could go to with good news and bad. He always said the right thing and gave the best advice or was able to sit and listen without judgment or interjecting his own opinion (if it wasn’t asked for). He was an incredible teacher, not only of yoga but of life. I will always miss him, and I will always cherish the lessons he taught me while he was here. I know he’s still around, I can feel him giving a gentle pat or hug and a smile.”

We end with Thomas’ yoga disciple Sarah Harkins’ invaluable words, each line freighted with love and sadness and an abiding hope:

Unfathomable
We are stunned
That you still in the prime of your life
Are taken from our midst
You who gave so much
Your good cheer,
Lightness of being
And kindness of heart
My being does not accept this
Knowledge of your passing
As though I am made with glass
It finds no place within me to abide
Only the unyielding “No”
By many and many more
Yet,
I wish you grace in your journey
Into the light of which you often spoke
Our loss is Mukha’s* gain
Love continues

*Mukha was Thomas’ previous dog”