Thomas Conway Crosby
July 13,1931 - Jan 27, 2017
Thomas Conway Crosby, longtime resident of Orinda, passed away peacefully on Saturday January 27, 2018. Tom was born in Bishop, CA on July 13, 1931, the second son of Eugene and Gladys Crosby. He attended Bellarmine High School and Santa Clara University, where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1953.
While at Santa Clara he married the love of his life, Barbara J Lutzow. They were married for 53 years until Barbara passed away in 2004. Tom is survived by: Thomas and Cindy (daughter-in-law) Crosby of Danville, Ann Sanderson (daughter) and Stan Sanderson of Nevada City, Margaret Zeiger (daughter) and David Zeiger of Pleasant Hill, and Daniel and Susan (daughter-in-law) Crosby of Walnut Creek. He had 8 grandchildren: Benjamin and Paul Crosby, Betsey Friedmann (Zeiger), Kate and Bonnie Zeiger and Nicholas, James and Matthew Crosby. He also had 3 great grandchildren: Dylan and Wells Crosby and Eleanor Friedmann.
Tom retired from Bechtel, San Francisco, after enjoying a career spanning nearly 40 years. He was Chief Mechanical Engineer for the Mining and Metals Group and then became Engineering Manager for the Infrastructure Group. He worked around the world on major projects from gold and diamond mines in South Africa, to copper mines in Papua New Guinea, and desalination facilities in Saudi Arabia. He set up Bechtel’s first office in the People Republic of China in the 1980’s. He was respected for his engineering skills, in addition to his warm and caring personality.
Tom resided in Orinda from 1976 to 2014, and was active in Santa Maria Church. With his love of woodworking, he made furniture for the Chapel at Santa Maria, including the Altar and Reader’s stand. He also crafted furniture, cabinetry, and anything his family would like.
Additionally, Tom loved fishing, working on his old cars, jigsaw puzzles and spending time with his family.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at the Church of Santa Maria, 40 Santa Maria Way, Orinda, CA on Friday, February 16, 2018 at 2:30 PM. Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.