Thomas Francis Widmer, aged 92, of California, MD, died on Sunday, July 20, 2025. He was the beloved husband of Evelyn DeLuca. He was born in New Kensington, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh, on January 17, 1933, to Thomas J. Widmer and Kathryn L. (Becker) Widmer.

He lived a long life – he needed to in order to fit in so many accomplishments and activities. Coming from humble beginnings, he was as comfortable in a grease pit as he was in a board room. He was known for his sharp intellect, fierce independence and fighting spirit. He had an endless love of adventure and enjoyed nothing more than regaling those around him with stories of those adventures. He was a man of strong opinions and grand plans. He expected nothing less than the best from himself, and from those around him.

He spent his early years working in two automotive businesses owned by his parents: Becker's Esso Station, in Lower Burrell and Widmer Dodge in Tarentum. He pumped gas, worked on cars, and could be seen in a t shirt washing cars outside in the dead cold winters. It is here that his lifelong interest in cars began; muscle cars in his early years and Cadillacs and Lincolns later. Tom had many Widmer cousins in the area and got up to plenty of trouble with them, much to the dismay of his mother and beloved grandmother Louisa.

While continuing to work full time in the family businesses and married with a young child, he attended the University of Pittsburgh (hitchhiking to class) His excellent academic performance during his first year earned him a scholarship from a well-known philanthropist enabling him to continue his studies. Graduating Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Tom subsequently attended the esteemed Chrysler Institute, in Michigan, where he earned a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

He returned to the Pittsburgh area where he worked at Westinghouse Atomic Power Division, designing valves and control rod drive mechanisms for the earliest naval and land based nuclear power plants. During the 1960's at General Electric Missile and Space Division, he directed the development of the radioisotope thermoelectric generators that powered scientific instruments placed on the moon by the Apollo astronauts. The SNAP-27 nuclear generator, placed during the Apollo moon landing of July 1969, is still functioning there today. He also contributed to the development of the Tektite underwater habitat, a Naval Research project within the Space Division, exploring the ability of small crews to carry out scientific missions under hazardous, isolated conditions.

After Apollo, Tom joined Thermo Electron Corporation where he served as VP of Engineering for the next two decades. He worked closely with Thermo founder George Hatsopoulos, implementing George's strategy of developing energy-efficient equipment for industrial and utility markets. Tom's excellent writing skills were put to good use at Thermo, where he produced many professional papers, annual reports, press releases, and presentations. Strong ties between George and Tom led to a personal request for Tom to author George's official biography, An American By Design. Published in 2013, it is dedicated "For George…my mentor, colleague, and friend for many years".

Tom was a man of wide-ranging interests and abilities. He held enthusiasm for many hobbies and projects over the years. He owned many homes, enjoying renovating and landscaping, and designed and oversaw the building of a new family home. He was very active in his leisure activities in the air and on the water. He had a private pilot license and owned a Stinson and Cessna. There were fishing trips to Canada and around Pennsylvania as well as fun in power boats and waterskiing with family.

He found his true passion shortly before turning 40. After a one-week family holiday aboard a chartered sailboat in the Virgin Islands he was hooked on sailing! Shortly thereafter he purchased his first sailboat, a Stoner Crocker custom 42 ft Maine-built wooden cutter, 'Maverick'. This new passion turned into many weekends of family sailing and competitive ocean racing on the North Shore of Boston. Tom was an accomplished ocean sailor having completed over 40,000 miles of offshore passages. In 1977 he began a transatlantic one-year voyage from Manchester Ma with first landfall in Flores Island Azores., followed by a 13,000-mile journey that included 78 ports of call. Tom particularly loved St. Lucia in the West Indies and purchased a condo there and bought two larger sailboats to start a sailboat charter service. He lived in Rhode Island for about 10 years enjoying sailing the waters around Westerly and Newport before retiring to the seacoast of Maryland where he continued sailing on Maverick and following wherever his boundless intellectual curiosity took him. Subjects like Physics and String Theory or speculations on the paranormal particularly piqued his interest. His joy in his last years came in spending time with his wife, Evelyn, and beloved dachshunds, first Nola and then Minnie. His fighting spirit was evident in recent years as he pursued his independent lifestyle to the very end, fiercely advocating for himself to maintain his home and health on his own terms to the greatest extent possible.

In addition to his wife, Evelyn, he is survived by son James J. Widmer and companion MaryBeth Kovach Rummel, James' former wife Jeanne Maroney, daughter Monica 'Moni' L Hall (Charles), Grandsons Eric C. Norman (Ashley), Adam G. Norman (Christina), Brian M. Widmer, Thomas J. Widmer, Granddaughter Sandra L. Friederichs (Rob) and two Great Grandchildren John P. 'Jack' Norman and Millicent R. Norman

He was preceded in death by his first wife of 46 years, Mona B. with whom he had three children, his younger brother Stephen C Widmer (Barbara) and his eldest son Thomas Patrick 'Pat' Widmer (Susan)

Celebrations of life and scattering of Tom's ashes in the sea will be held in the future.

Condolences may be left for the family at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.