Thomas (Tom) Welles Pitkin, beloved husband, father, grandfather, engineer, and world traveler, passed away on September 26th, 2024, at the age of 79. He was born on October 24th, 1944 in Mineola, New York to Captain Everett Welles and Charlotte Marie Kraft Pitkin. Tom grew up surrounded by relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins) in Lindenhurst, NY where they enjoyed many family events together.  In his youth, Tom and his best friend, Brian Kenney, spent countless happy days on the Great South Bay of Long Island: boating, swimming, clamming, fishing, skiing, and once camped out on an island during a Full Gale Storm that completely submerged the island on the night of March 31st, 1959.

Tom attended kindergarten through high school in Lindenhurst, NY.  During his senior year, he worked at Howard Johnson scooping ice cream.  He used the money he earned from his job to buy his first car, a Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. In 1965, he graduated from Suffolk County Community College with an associate degree in applied science.  During the Vietnam War he enlisted in the Air Force, earning the rank of Staff Sergeant serving in Okinawa, Japan, Vietnam, and the United States.

After the Air Force, Tom went to college at the University of Missouri, Columbia, receiving a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1972.  Upon graduating, he went to work for Stone & Webster Engineering in Pennsylvania for two years at the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant.

In 1973, he married Ila Marie Megaw, and they moved to Richland, Washington where they lived for the rest of their lives.  The first job that he had in Richland was for FFTF construction.  His primary career was Facilities Engineering and Project Management at Battelle. His professional life also took him to work for FEMA to provide Hurricane Katrina relief, the Department of Defense at Fort McKinley in Alaska, as well as Queens College in New York.  He completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Washington State University-Tri Cities in 1998.

In those early years in Washington State, Tom and Ila explored the beauty of the state: the mountains, lakes, forests, and Pacific Ocean–during hikes, backpacking, camping, and skiing. Tom served on the Executive Board of Directors for the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy for 14 years and was President of Richland Lutheran Church from 1990-92.  For many decades, he was an active donor to the Red Cross. Over the course of his life, he donated gallons of live-saving blood to those who needed it. He was active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) until his passing, serving as Vice President and delegate to the Tri-Cities Technical Council. As a retiree, he enjoyed bringing his grandchildren to their events/demonstrations. Tom had a life-long love of boating and the outdoors and was a member of the Clover Island Yacht Club, and Vice-President of the Inter-Mountain Alpine Club (1976).

Later in their marriage, Tom and Ila went to social dancing classes where they met new friends with whom they enjoyed many good times together dancing, tasting wine, and seeing plays. In later years, Tom and Ila traveled extensively to Europe: Germany, Salzburg, Croatia, Vienna, Budapest, France, Italy, Ireland, and Great Britain. They enjoyed getting to see the world together.

Tom is preceded in death by both parents Everett and Charlotte, sister Dawn Marie, and brother Richard Welles.  He is survived by his family: wife, Ila Marie Pitkin, his children:  Brad (wife Megan) and Carissa (husband Kyle) and grandchildren: Madison, Mason, and Mathias. Tom was devoted to his family and worked tirelessly to dedicate his life’s purpose to them.  He is also survived by his sister: Martha Pitkin (wife Ellen Biggers), plus many cousins.  His life will be celebrated at a memorial service to be held at Northwest United Protestant Church, Richland WA on January 25th, 2025, at 11am.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Red Cross.