Thomas Graham Obituary

Graham
Thomas Robert
Graham
May 12, 1945
January 4, 2024

Thomas Robert Graham born on May 12, 1945 slipped away quietly in his own home on January 4, 2024 after a lengthy illness. He has left a husband/father/brother/uncle/grandfather and friend-sized hole in many lives.
After growing up in St. Louis Park, Mn, he joined the Air Force for four years and gratefully used his GI Bill to attend the University of Minnesota graduating with an electrical engineering degree. He took that degree to MIT but before getting his master's, he was lured away by a college pal to take a job with Hewlett-Packard in San Jose. This was the start of a long and satisfying career with HP and its off-spring companies that lasted until to his retirement in 2010. Along the way, he picked up a master's degree from Stanford as well as contributed to many products that he found challenging and satisfying - as both an engineer and later a manager. Although most of his career was spent in Colorado Springs, CO., there was a wonderful 8-year sojourn in Washington state with many special memories of career, family and friends.
Sharing many of those wonderful years - nearly 50 - is his wife, Judith Pettibone. Life became very rich with the birth of their two daughters - Kathleen (Katie) and Rebecca (Becca). Tom was a devoted dad who could be counted on for anything - but math homework, projects, proud audience member and super cheerleader make the memories. His pride in his 'girls' knew no bounds. This devotion continued in his role as PopPop to his two granddaughters Piper and Zoe who were his absolute joy. He leaves behind his wife, daughters, granddaughters and son-in-law Hayes Parzybok and sisters and brothers-in-laws. He loved being an uncle and was always interested in the lives of his nieces and nephews - and now the little grandnieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed by his sister Jo Ann Sauber and her husband Bob. He was preceded in death by his sister Janet Wittman and her husband Larry as well as his parents Robert and Joyce Graham.
From cheering on middle school robotics teams as a volunteer, handcrafting beautiful bowls on his lathe, keeping up with a life-time love affair with NASA, enjoying all the new developments in physics, and lending a helping hand whenever needed, it was a life well-lived.
Family and friends will be honoring him with a Celebration of Life in July of 2024. For more information, email [email protected].
Memorial contributions may be sent to The Special Olympics, Tom's personal favorite charity.