DR. THOMAS G. SHANNON

TROY - Dr. Thomas G. Shannon, age 83, of Troy, N.Y. passed away on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at the Vermont Veteran’s Home in Bennington, VT. Tom was born in Rochester, NY on March 8, 1934 to Ruth and Richard Shannon. The youngest of five children, Tom attended Rochester public schools and went on to the University of Rochester to earn a B.S. in physics. Upon graduating, Tom entered Aviation Officer’s Candidate School in the United States Navy, based in Pensacola, Florida. After three and a half years in the Navy, he was honorably discharged and enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. and earned a Ph.D. in physics, his dissertation focusing on high energy sub-atomic particles. After a short time as a post-doc, Tom took a job working for U.S. Agency for International Development in Hyderabad, India. Eighteen months later Tom returned to RPI to manage the physics laboratories and teach undergraduate physics until his retirement at age 70 in 2004. When not working, Tom was active in his sons’ Boy Scout troops and activities. He also enjoyed family camping trips, reading (especially books on philosophy and comparative religion), gardening, smoking his pipe, and listening to classical music. Tom is survived by his wife Joyce, son Michael and daughter-in-law Nancy Nicholson, son Timothy and daughter-in-law Camilla Shannon, and son Patrick and daughter-in-law Bethany Shannon, and six grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Robert and his wife Norma Shannon, as well as his sister-in-law Kitty Shannon and many nieces and nephews. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family home at 15 Woodrow Court, Troy, NY 12180.