Tom Korologos, a diplomat and artist with several ties to the Roaring Fork Valley, died July 26.
Korologos was the former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, and worked in the White House with multiple presidential administrations. He was also a staffer for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Before entering the world of government and politics, he was a journalist — and, once, the ski editor at the Salt Lake Tribune.
Korologos was a photographer, too, like his late wife and former labor secretary Ann McLaughlin Korologos. The couple had a residence in Basalt, where Ann’s gallery is still located, and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village just hosted a gallery exhibition of Tom’s work in late July.
Tom and Ann were members of the ranch’s National Council for more than 25 years, and Tom was “a leading supporter of the Photography and New Media department at the ranch,” according to a statement from the organization released Saturday. Tom was also a workshop participant who would invite students to his house to photograph the location.
“We will remember Tom for his remarkable contributions and his vibrant presence in our community,” the ranch’s staff and trustees wrote in an email.
The exhibition this summer highlighted his knack for visual storytelling and appreciation for ordinary beauty alike.
“His photographs reflect a journalistic sensibility combined with an eye for capturing the poetic in everyday moments,” the email states.
Tom’s work was represented by his wife’s gallery, where several works are still available. Ann died in 2023, spurring tributes from organizations like Colorado Mountain College and the Aspen Leadership Group; Anderson Ranch honored her legacy at the time with recognition of her wisdom, wit, “visionary leadership” and grace.
According to an obituary published in the Salt Lake Tribune, Tom Korologos is survived by his brother and sister, as well as children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren from his first marriage, to the late Joy Korologos.
