Robert Thome, artist and advocate, dies at 65

DOWNEY — Robert Thome, a renowned artist who founded the Art of Rancho Exhibit at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, has died at age 65.

The Rancho Los Amigos Foundation announced Thome’s death. It’s unclear how or when he died.

Born in Los Angeles, Thome was injured in a high school football game at age 15. The injury left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Years later, with support from his wife Kathy, Thome took up painting and made it his life’s passion.

Thome created his artwork using his mouth to control the paint brush.

“Art is a wonderful means of expression. I paint with my mouth, but if something happened to my mouth, I would paint with the forehead,” Thome once said in an interview.

“That’s what art is about, finding ways to implement your ideas.”

In addition to creating the Art of Rancho Exhibit, Thome was instrumental in establishing Rancho’s adult and pediatric art programs.

“The Rancho Los Amigos Foundation and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center remains grateful for everything Robert has done to support and promote the disabled artist community,” the foundation said in a statement.

“He will be greatly missed, but his legacy here at Rancho will live on through the hundreds of lives he’s improved, enriched and given hope to throughout his journey.”