Thomas Arthur Schultz III, 45, best known to all as Tommy, died June 4, 2021 at Winchester Medical Center. Although he was an active, healthy individual who had never smoked, his death was caused by complications from lung cancer.

Tommy was born in Winchester, Virginia in 1975, the son of Thomas A. (Tas) Schultz, Jr. and Kate G. Schultz. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his brother, Preston Schultz and his wife, Jennifer, niece Stella Schultz and nephews, Alex and Ben Schultz of Greenville, South Carolina, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Thomas A. Schultz, Anna G. Schultz, William T. Gladden, Jr. and Catherine T. Gladden.

He attended James Wood High School and was a member of the first graduating class of Sherando High School, the Class of 1994, where he was described by one of his teachers as a Renaissance man. He was creative and artistic from an early age as well as an avid reader. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

During his younger years, living near orchards, woods and a lake, Tommy spent countless hours outdoors hunting and fishing while developing a deep appreciation and respect for nature. He was a skilled fly fisherman, tying his own flies and often fishing streams and rivers in Shenandoah National Park. After college graduation, he worked as a fly fishing instructor and guide for the Orvis Fly Fishing School in Vermont. He was then hired by Trout Unlimited, a national non-profit conservation organization, and became director of marketing, frequently working with professional outdoor photographers on projects which sparked his interest in following this pursuit.

In a life-changing decision inspired by a close friend, he joined the Peace Corps in 2004 and spent over two years as a Coastal Resource Management volunteer in the Philippines. During his training period, he took a scuba diving class and was assigned to the Silliman University Marine Lab in Dumaguete. Working under a prominent marine biologist engaged in coral reef surveys, he learned the challenges of marine conservation and issues facing the oceans. He also spent enjoyable time playing his guitar, fronting for a local band dubbed “Frying Nemo” which he had organized, and becoming part of the community. He is so well-remembered there, even fifteen years later that the Dumaguete Tourism Office posted a tribute to him on their website after learning of his death. When his Peace Corps assignment ended, he traveled extensively in Asia, became hooked on photography and was determined to travel further. He returned to Dumaguete with the decision to launch himself as a full-time freelance photographer and writer, having already had some success in getting his work published. Later, when recommended by the publications president for National Geographic who had mentored him while a board member for Trout Unlimited, he worked in Bali, Indonesia for an innovative project called Photovoices which was being sponsored by National Geographic and involved sharing stories from remote communities through photography.

He remained based in Bali for over 14 years as a travel writer and adventure photographer, often going on assignments in remote places. Among those were four research expeditions with the World Wildlife Fund to the protected Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage site, diving to photograph and document the biodiversity of these pristine coral reefs at the heart of the Coral Triangle. He also was part of a number of trips aboard an Indonesian sailing schooner, outfitted for diving, and capable of reaching faraway islands. Many of his projects were underwater and included such experiences as swimming with whale sharks or diving to photograph amazing marine life. During his years in Bali, a surfing mecca, he took up this sport not only on a board himself but also behind the lens in the ocean taking phenomenal photos of professional and local surfers as they rode huge waves.

Tommy’s work appeared in publications for National Geographic, Patagonia, World Wildlife Fund, The Surfers Journal, The North Face, Orvis, travel magazines such as DestinAsian and Smile, and Indonesian and Middle Eastern airline flight magazines. In his quest for photo opportunities, he encountered Komodo dragons, sea snakes, whales, sharks and orangutans, to mention just a few, but above all, he met a wide range of interesting and adventurous people and made friends in so many places, often bonded through the ocean. He was an advocate for its health and protection.

He will be remembered as a colorful raconteur with a mischievous and good-natured sense of humor, a faithful friend and beloved family member. He leaves a beautiful legacy in his outstanding photography, writings and music. While his life has been cut much too short, he packed in more experiences than most do in a lifetime. He set his goals, pursued his passions and lived his dreams, just as written on his website in a quote from Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now, you’ll be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

There will be a celebration of Tommy’s life on Sunday, June 13, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Omps Funeral Home, Reception Center, 1600 Amherst Street, Winchester, Virginia, with remembrances starting at 5:30 p.m.