Obituaries 12-15-2022

Dr. Thomas Vasilos

He Really was a “Rocket Scientist”

Dr. Thomas (Tom, Tommy Boy, Dr. Know, The Rocket Man) Vasilos, 93 years young, passed away peacefully in his home with family after a brief illness.

Tom was a devoted husband, father, Papou, Great-Papou, uncle, cousin and friend. He was brilliant, open-minded and open-hearted, a lover of science and nature, who lived life to its fullest. He was generous, kind and caring and shared his wisdom, knowledge and experience with all. He was a vibrant storyteller often relating significant and humorous events that shaped his life and yes, he really was a “Rocket Scientist.”

Tom was born on October 18, 1929 in Astoria (Queens), New York, to Mercedes (Voulgarakis) and George (Vasiglou) Vasilos. His parents were poor Greek immigrants, who came to America for a better life, and they certainly succeeded in providing that for their three children.  Tom was a Great Depression era baby, an inquisitive child, an excellent student, whose early life experiences helped shape who he became.

Tom attended Public School 122 in Astoria, Queens and graduated as a Senior Arista and Salutatory speaker from Long Island City High School in 1947.  In his elementary school years, Tom’s older brother, Michael, gave his very curious younger brother, a chemistry set. Tom became a “boy scientist” and attributed this gift as to what led him on his path to become a “Rocket Scientist.”  Throughout his younger years, Tom performed many experiments and even invented a “rocket plane,” which was published in Popular Science Magazine in March of 1947.

Tom graduated from Brooklyn College with a BS in Chemistry in 1950. He received a full scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he studied Metallurgy and Ceramics. His professor, who facilitated his graduate education and research assistantship, labeled him “The Rocket Man.”  Tom graduated with a Doctor of Science degree in Ceramics in 1954, the same year he married the love of his life, Helen and missed his MIT graduation ceremony to attend his wedding.

Tom served in the United States Army as a Specialist Scientist at Signal Corps Engineering Labs (S & P Program) in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey from 1953 to 1955, where he was a chemical engineer, developed a patent, wrote peer review papers and received the National Defense Service Medal.  He was in the active reserves from 1955 to 1961 and honorably discharged with rank grade of SP4.

Tom worked for Corning Glass Works in Corning, New York from 1955 to 1957 as a Research Chemist and Manager of the Ceramic Research Department. Tom’s passion, however, was in the aerospace industry.

In 1957, Tom got his dream job of 30 years at AVCO Systems Division/TEXTRON Defense System in Lowell, Massachusetts as a Principal Scientist and Department Head Manager of Research and Development (RAD) of Materials and Chemical Processes, until 1987.  He and his team were responsible developing materials for strategic and tactical applications in government sponsored contracts such as NASA and the United States Military. He worked on the Air Force’s Titan, Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile programs and NASA’s Apollo vehicle’s returning astronauts back to Earth. He was co-inventor and developer of the metal honeycomb reinforced ceramics known as AVCOITE Materials Fabrication, which was successfully used for heat shielding purposes in re-entry vehicles. He and his team also developed other important components used in the space industry and military projects. Tom and his research team’s projects were on exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the early 1960s. He prided himself on being “the best problem-solver in the world.”

Tom’s second career began upon retiring from AVCO/TEXTRON. He became a professor in the Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering at UMASS Lowell from 1987 to 2003. In 2003 with Emeritus status, he continued to work with faculty members on projects. He co-authored two textbooks with his colleague David A. Colling, Industrial Materials: Volume 1 and 2, as well as published many scientific articles. Tom also did private consulting work for many companies, such as those concentrating in biologic materials, with an emphasis on prosthetics.

Tom’s third career was serving as President of the Seville Condo Association in Pelican Marsh, Naples, FL for 10 years from 2005 to 2015. He would tell you that this was perhaps his most challenging job–having to deal with people’s problems all day and all night instead of chemicals, ceramics, metals, polymers and components.

Tom and Helen bought their beloved Winthrop home in 1959, where he resided for over 60 years. Tom and his family vacationed every summer at their Pine Manor home in the National Seashore in North Truro, Cape Cod and every winter in Naples, Florida. Depending on where he was vacationing and with which beach buddies, that became Paradise #1.

Tom would tell everyone that he lived “in the water, on the water, under the water and by the water.” He was a long-distance swimmer, a kayaker, a fisherman, a snorkeler, a surf clam diver, a reef explorer, and owner of three properties near the water. Tom loved the beach and all his beach buddies.

Tom wrote memoires of his life experiences and adventures and shared them eagerly with his friends and family. He enjoyed “playing” the stock market game and making a variety of investments from gold to a tree farm in Maine. His best investments were his family and his three homes all “by the water,” which gave him and his family many happy memories.  Tom was an avid reader of nonfiction, from every scientific magazine and research publication to newspapers and current events magazines, to stock trade magazines, to biographies and books about significant historical and scientific events and politics.

Tom was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, and his friends and family were fortunate to acquire valuable information from him ranging from the trivial to the momentous. His story of the “white rock” was one of his favorites, but others preferred his story of almost being “shark bait” during a long-distance swim at Coast Beach in North Truro. He loved quoting famous philosophers, poets, writers, politicians and dialogue from movies and TV. Tom appreciated classical music and he and Helen frequently attended concerts at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He enjoyed performing acapella at his condo talent shows where he sang western songs and 60’s folk songs while entertaining the audience with his life experiences.

He was a devoted “Yankees” fan, which led to many lively “discussions” when they played against the Red Sox. Tom loved nature and traveling and exploring his surroundings. Tom wrote many published letters to the editor in the Naples Daily News on topics that triggered his interest or concern and was proud to share them with everyone. He loved peace and tranquility which was often difficult to achieve in our Greek family. He was frequently heard to proclaim, “Serenity Now!”

Tom was predeceased by his beautiful Greek Goddess, Helen (Karnakis), his parents, Mercedes and George Vasilos, his brother, Michael Vasilos, his sister, Penelope (Penny Vasilos) Pappas, his favorite cousin (Electra Tatigikis Titone) who nicknamed him “Tommy Boy,” and his favorite brothers-in-law, Louis and Nicholas Karnakis, who coined him the nickname of “Dr. Know,” since “Tommy Boy” claimed to know everything.

Tom is survived by his children: Stephanie Vasilos of Winthrop, Artemis Vasilos and Kate Cyr of Medford, his granddaughter, Alexandra (Ali) Calandrelli, his great-grandchildren, Elanie Rose (Lanie) and Thomas James (Tommy) Dellenbaugh of Winthrop, their father, David Dellenbaugh of Chesterfield, NH, his sister-in-law, Georgia Vasilos of Atlanta, GA and her family,  his brother-in-law, Andrew Karnakis and wife, Vicki of Medfield and their family, his sister-in-law, Nancy Nix Karnakis (Vienna, VA) and an extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was a member and fellow of the American Ceramic Society and Chairman of the Basic Science Division in 1964, the British Ceramic Society, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Sigma Xi, Tua Beta Pi and National Engineering Honor Society. Tom was an active member of the Materials Advisory Board Committees for the National Academy of Sciences and appointed to American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Materials Committees. Tom was the author or co-author of over 60 published papers. He received the Ross Coffin Purdy Award in 1967 from the American Ceramic Society, in 1968 he received the Distinguished Achievement Award for the New England Section of the American Ceramic Society and 1983 received the Excalibur Award TEXTRON for the invention and development of antenna window material.

Family and friends are cordially invited to attend the visitation from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop today, Thursday, December 15 from 10 a.m. to 12 followed by a funeral service in the funeral home at 12 Noon. Services will conclude with the interment with military honors in the Belle Isle section of Winthrop Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the Winthrop Teachers’ Association (WTA) Scholarship Fund located at Winthrop High School, 400 Main Street, Winthrop, MA 02152, or to the charity of your choice.

We are so proud of all your accomplishments. You will be forever loved and remembered. He would tell you, “To thine own self be true” and “May the force be with you.”

For directions or to sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.

Beverly Pisco/DeVeau

August 17, 1938 – December 10, 2022

Beverly Pisco/DeVeau passed in Florida on December 10.

Her first husband, Waldo Pisco, preceded her in 1985. She is survived by her husband, Edward DeVeau; her children: Paula Floyd and her husband, William Floyd, Michael Pisco and his wife, Jance, Dennis Pisco and Gayle Devaney; her grandchildren: Kelli, Michael, Kristin, Amanda, Geoffery, Jonathan, Megan, Jeremy, Erica and the late William Floyd and seven great-grandchildren.

She was well loved and will be missed. Services will be held at a later date.