Celebrating the Life of Tommy Van Zandt
Thomas “Tommy” Link Van Zandt fulfilled his earthly mission on September 16, 2024 at sixty-five years young. It marked fifteen years to the day since his return home from spinal cord rehab following a life-altering accident that left him a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. What followed were fifteen years of deep, purpose-driven love shared with his family, friends, colleagues, church, and community.
Born July 24, 1959 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Annella Humphreys and Jerry Bryan Van Zandt, Tommy began his journey of love by building meaningful, life-long relationships throughout his formidable years in Fort Smith. Tommy attended the University of Arkansas, was an involved member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and a proud Razorback fan for life - he fully embraced his last Hog football win on Saturday before his death.
Upon graduation, Tommy moved to Texas to pursue a career in oil, but quickly realized his gift for relationship building in commercial real estate in Dallas. He was known for his humanity, humility, and humor in his work and was confided in by many peers in the industry. For Tommy, work was a platform for sharing love.
In 1985 Tommy met Robyn Sims, who hailed from Jackson, Mississippi and was a recent graduate of the University of Texas, while interviewing her for a job in Dallas. He persisted through to proposing (twice) for marriage, and soon their family grew to include their two sons, Ross and Jack. Tommy ultimately chose in 2000 to trade promising career pursuits in Dallas for more balance and access to nature for his young family in Arkansas. He and Robyn raised a family and Tommy built a business in Fayetteville, co-founding Sage Partners, now the leading commercial real estate brokerage in Northwest Arkansas and a member of the Cushman & Wakefield Alliance. In his work, Tommy will be remembered for elevating people to their full potential. He was a servant leader, and his most important “deal” is his recent negotiation of space for his church, Christ Church in Fayetteville.
Following the historic ice storm in 2009, Tommy fell off of a ladder while cleaning debris in the backyard and was immediately paralyzed from the neck down. Tommy overcame all scientific odds and doubt, and he leaned into his faith and friendships. Tommy loved hard, and he loved his wife the most, who was by his side in sickness and in health. Many miracles occurred during this time, and the greatest miracle of all is the unimaginable love and support of his far-reaching community.
He’s preceded in death by his father Jerry Van Zandt, and his in-laws Mary and Douglas Sims.
He’s survived by his wife of 37 years, Robyn Sims Van Zandt; sons Ross Van Zandt of Denver, CO and Jack Van Zandt of Fayetteville, AR; mother Annella Humphreys Van Zandt of Little Rock AR; sister and brother-in-law Vicki and Mark Saviers of Little Rock, AR. Other surviving family members include Beth and Marshall Saviers of Fayetteville, AR, Melissa and John Mark Saviers of Little Rock, AR, Brenda and Moji Ghassemi of Dallas, TX, Jennifer and Cameron Ghassemi of Dallas, TX, Drs. Gina and Douglas Sims and daughter Avery Sims of Dallas, TX.
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Tommy's funeral will be held on Monday, September 23rd, at 2:00 PM at Christ Church, 4201 N. Shiloh Dr., Suite 98, Fayetteville, AR. For those unable to attend, the service will be live-streamed. We will send out a link to stream the service on Monday morning.
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The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the many caregivers and healthcare professionals who enabled Tommy to live a meaningful life. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
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The Robyn and Tommy Van Zandt Award for Nursing
Award contributions should be made payable to the University of Arkansas Foundation and mailed to:
Gift Administration
481 S. Shiloh Drive
Fayetteville, AR 72704
Christ Church
Checks may be mailed to:
P.O. Box 10798
Fayetteville, AR 72703
Memo Line: In Memorial of Tommy Van Zandt
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Online donations can be made at Christnwa.Church
