David Tipton Thomas
David Tipton Thomas, a 50 year resident of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully the morning of July 13, 2023 at the age of 85, with both his daughters present.
David was born on December 13, 1937 in Barnesville, Ohio to the late Louis Ward Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Tipton Thomas. He grew up in Barnesville, and graduated as valedictorian at Barnesville High School in 1955. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering (with Honors!) at Carnegie Institute of Technology(later to become Carnegie Mellon University) in 1959, and his Master of Science in Math in 1960. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering in 1962 from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!).
David stayed on as an Assistant Professor at Ohio State University for a year, before returning to Carnegie Institute of Technology to teach. On June 4, 1966, David married his wife Carolyn McQuaid. For their honeymoon they spent the summer in Palo Alto California, where he worked and studied at Stanford University. In 1968 David took a position at AT&T Bell Labs in Whippany NJ, and the family moved to Morristown, NJ. In 1971 his job was transferred to North Andover, MA. In 1972 David completed writing his book “Engineering Electromagnetics”, published by Pergamon Press, Dec 1972. His family often commented that the only part of the book we understood was the dedication to his wife, Cari. In January 1973, David accepted a position with Raytheon ESD in Goleta, California, where he would continue to grow his career until his retirement in December 1998. That California summer in 1966 certainly contributed to the decision to move west.
In his off work hours, David was known for his singing! He participated in many singing groups and choirs (including the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh), as well as performing in operas and musicals such as Rigoletto, South Pacific, Amahl and the Night Visitors, La Traviata, and The Magic Flute. In addition to his singing, his musical talents included playing the clarinet, the classical guitar, and the piano.
He loved playing bridge(Evening groups and weekly lunchtime group at Raytheon) and tennis(Cathedral Oaks Club), and became a gourmet chef much to the delight of his family! He was especially known for his Eggs Benedict and Filet Mignon with Brown Sauce. David and Cari hosted their annual Christmas parties featuring eggnog made from scratch and soused shrimp. Six dozen eggs were separated, and ten+ lbs of shrimp peeled and deveined. David regularly brought home fresh lobster from his East Coast business trips.
The Thomas family started having family reunions in Litchfield, South Carolina. It was at one of these reunions that David caught the genealogy bug. He became involved in genealogy and family history, delighting in finding ancestral lines, and sharing his finds with anyone who would listen. He created many wonderful binders full of information for his family and friends, as well as a mini autobiography.
He is survived by daughters Julie (Chuck) Roth and Kathy (Marc) Gray, grandchildren Paul Zuniga, Christina Zuniga (Michael Davis), Isabel Gray and Jessica Gray, great-grandchildren D.J. Zuniga, Xander Zuniga, and Talia Davis-Zuniga, his brothers Joseph (Marney) Thomas and Daniel (Anne) Thomas, as well as many nieces and nephews, and too many cousins to count.
David was predeceased by his parents and his wife of 56 years, Cari, who passed March 29, 2023 just short of their 57th anniversary.
There will be a Celebration of Life at Goleta Presbyterian Church (6067 Shirrell Way, Goleta, CA 93117) on Oct 21, 2023 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Goleta Presbyterian Church (https://www.goletapres.org/supporting-gpc/) or The United Way (https://www.unitedwaysb.org/give)