Thomas Franklin Waters

Mr. Thomas F. Waters, 62, passed into eternal life at home on Sunday, May 9, 2010, after a long and courageous battle with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He was the husband of 30 years to Karen Musial Waters. Born on Sept. 26, 1947, he was the son of the late Floyd K. Waters and Dora Viola Waters. He was a graduate of Brunswick High School in 1965 and a graduate of Hagerstown Business College. Because of an immense love of dance, Tom started his own dance studio, Tom's Dance Studio in 1959 in Brunswick. He would also teach in Loudoun County, Va., and would later move his studio to Market Street in Frederick. The studio, which later became Artistic Dance Centre, would be an icon for 50 years in Frederick County. After Tom's illness prevented him from personally teaching in 2006, Lauren Waters, his daughter, would become director of Artistic Dance Centre and keep the legacy alive with the help of her brother, Nathan Waters. Countless students have passed through the doors of the studio and many thought of Tom as their "second dad," their "mentor," their "friend." Although tap was Tom's first love, his well-rounded program of all disciplines of dance would provide many students the chance to go on professionally in careers in New York City, cruise lines and theater. The studio's dance company, The Dance Contraption, won top awards at the Dance Masters Convention in 1983 in Los Angeles, including choreography and costuming awards for Tom. Artistic Dance Centre will close at the end of the dance season in July with many memories and well wishes for those who touched the lives of the Waters family. A celebration of Tom's life will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, July 16, at the Weinberg Center. A full-length documentary chronicling Tom's life and the impact that he has had on the Frederick County Arts community will be shown. Proceeds from the gala evening will fund a scholarship in Tom's name. Surviving in addition to his wife is his son, Nathan Waters of Frederick; his daughter, Lauren Waters of Frederick; and his precious granddaughter, Haley Kelley-Waters. He is also survived by two sisters, June Alger and husband, Jack, of Brunswick, and Susan Alexander and husband, Ron, of Harpers Ferry, W.Va.; sister-in-law, Sharon Musial Coddington of Louisville, Ky.; niece, Holly Delauter and husband, Joe, of Thurmont; nephews, Kenny Alger and wife, Terry, of Brunswick, and Corey S. Stup of Louisville, Ky.; and grand-nephews, Brad Alger and wife, Stephanie, of Columbia, Andy Alger of Brunswick and Kaleb Welch of Thurmont; and mother-in-law, Ann Musial McElfish of Frederick. He was preceded in death by his father, Floyd K. Waters, in 1990, and his mother, Dora Viola Waters, in 2007. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, at Keeney and Basford PA Funeral Home, 106 E. Church St., Frederick. A service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 13, at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 116 E. Second St., Frederick, with Deacon John L. Manley officiating and the Rev. Clark Carr co-officiating. Interment will be in St. John's Cemetery between Third, Fourth and East streets. Weather permitting, a procession on foot will follow the funeral to the gravesite, for those who are able. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Frederick County, 108 Byte Drive, Frederick, MD 21702, or to the Thomas F. Waters Scholarship Fund at Footlights, 306 E. Church St., Frederick, MD 21701. Online condolences may be shared with the family at KeeneyBasford.com