Tom was born in Youngstown Ohio to Frank and Margaret (Smith) Rowlands. He graduated summa cum laude from Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio in 1964. He attended Youngstown State University graduating with honors in 1968 with a double major in French and Art History. He volunteered for the Peace Corps, serving two years in western Ivory Coast teaching English as a Foreign Language. He enrolled in the art history graduate program at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He pursued research at Harvard University, and in Paris, resulting in a doctorate. He taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern University, and expanded the art history offerings at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. His last six years before retiring in 2012 were spent at Loyola University Chicago.

Tom enjoyed oil painting, French cooking, container gardening, and travel— in North America, Asia, Europe, and especially in Africa. Tom and his wife, Paula, accrued a collection of more than 600 traditional African works of art — masks, figures, textiles, pottery, leather works and jewelry. His great passion was opera, spurred by his French teacher Patrick J. Gargoline. Tom and Paula enjoyed live performances at several dozen opera houses in Asia, North America, and Europe. Their collection of recordings reached 24,000 complete operas plus memorabilia, autographs, and signed autobiographies. He is survived by his wife, Paula Wisotzki., and his paternal cousin Mary Jane (Rowlands) Gehring.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, Tom has suggested donations to the art department of Saint Mary's College care of Professor Julie Tourtilotte, Department of Art, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556.

A memorial service will be scheduled in the future and announced on Tom's Facebook page.

Forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit.