Col. Warren Atticus Thrasher, 94, a former faculty member at UGA, died June 8 at his home in Athens.
Born in Ashburn, Thrasher was an honor graduate and honor military graduate of UGA where he was cadet colonel, commanding the ROTC Infantry Regiment. Upon graduation in 1940, he was employed by IBM Corp. Thrasher entered active duty with the U.S. Army in early 1941 and served with the 1st Armored Division as a tank officer in Algeria and Tunisia. After being wounded in combat in the North African desert, he was appointed aide-de-camp to Gen. Mark W. Clark and served in that capacity with the Fifth Army Headquarters in Italy until the end of the war in Europe. In WWII, he participated in six campaigns and many battles including the Sicily, Salerno and Anzio landings.
Thrasher returned to UGA in 1963 and served for four years as professor of military science. Under his leadership, total enrollment in the Army ROTC program virtually doubled and production of officers tripled. After his retirement from 27 years of military service, Thrasher joined the UGA faculty as a professor in the department of management in the Terry College of Business.
Thrasher is survived by his wife of 68 years, Caroline Burson Thrasher, Athens; two sons and daughters-in-law, Warren and Emily Thrasher of Vienna, Va.; John and Paula Thrasher of Newnan; daughter, Sue Quillian Thrasher, Oxford; daughter and son-in-law Peggy and Don Law of Greensboro; six grandchildren and one great granddaughter.
Thrasher will be buried Sept. 5 with full military honors during funeral services to be held at Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial service will be held in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church in Athens in advance of the Arlington burial and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Athens or the Terry College of Business.
