Thomas Hicks
Traffic engineer in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey was proponent of traffic circles and raised sheep as hobby
Thomas Hicks, a retired traffic engineering official who was a proponent of traffic circles and raised sheep, died of organ failure Jan. 30 at Gilchrist Hospice Towson. He was 89 and lived in Towson.
Born in Baltimore and raised in Woodbrook, he was the son of William Paul Hicks, a member of the Thomas Hicks and Sons construction firm, and Gladys Milligan, a homemaker.
A 1951 Towson High School graduate, Mr. Hicks earned a degree at the University of Maryland College Park and received an engineering studies certificate from Yale University.
As a young man he worked for the old Koontz Dairy and delivered milk. “He sometimes broke more bottles than a day’s wages would cover,” said nephew David Beachler.
Family members said Mr. Hicks had a carefree Towson childhood.
“He got into mischief with friends and by taking the stacked canon balls from the front of the Towson Court House and rolling them on the streetcar tracks,” said Mr. Beachler.
Mr. Hicks also worked summers during his youth for his father’s firm.
A lifelong Methodist, Mr. Hicks attended Grace United Methodist Church in Homeland. When his father’s construction business built the current church in 1950, Mr. Hicks worked for a summer on the project.
“Tom’s name remains as he wrote it on a beam on a catwalk in the attic over the sanctuary,” said George Kahl, a member of the Grace Church congregation. “After the church was completed Tom always sat in the balcony. He was a supporter of the church’s outreach programs.”
His brother-in-law, Lynn Beachler, said, “Tom was always accused of also putting a foot through the roof of the sanctuary ceiling during construction.”
Mr. Hicks developed an interest in civil engineering as a young man.
“There were stories of him making highway cloverleafs in his mashed potatoes,” said his brother-in-law, Mr. Beachler. “Tom had a humorous side and was outgoing.”
Mr. Hicks took a job in traffic engineering in Washington, D.C., and later for the state of New Jersey. He served as an early traffic engineer for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
Mr. Hicks joined the Maryland State Highway Administration in 1968. He retired in 2012 as deputy chief engineer for Traffic and Safety.
“Tom was a national authority on traffic engineering,” said Lee Billingsley, a former co-worker who is the retired Broward County, Florida, director of Public Work and Transportation. “He made sure traffic moved safely and efficiently through Maryland’s traffic network. He was an excellent teacher and made engineering fun.”
Mr. Hicks saw the benefit of traffic circles while working in New Jersey, Mr. Billingsley said.
“Tom was a pioneer in traffic circles use in Maryland,” said Mr. Billingsley. “He liked their efficiency and they way they could keep traffic moving safely.”
“People gravitated toward Tom. He had a great sense of humor. I never saw him mad,” said Mr. Billingsley. “He was a man of accomplishments but he was very humble.”
Mr. Hicks enjoyed traveling and drove to work conferences throughout the country, often including stops at National Parks and historic sites. He also made it a point to check out traffic control systems along the way.
Mr. Hicks oversaw the use of traffic control devices and signs on major highways, including the Baltimore Beltway, Interstate 95 and I-70. He and his staff set speed limits and controlled traffic movement in construction areas.
In 2013 Mr. Hicks was named an honorary member of National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices after holding chairs within the organization.
Mr. Hicks earned the 1990 National Safety Award from the American Traffic Safety Services Association for “outstanding service and dedication to traffic safety”, among many others.
He was a teacher and mentor to generations of young engineers.
He enjoyed tennis, softball and Baltimore Orioles games.
“Sitting still in retirement was not in his nature,” said his nephew, Mr. Beachler. “He bowled and pitched softball, first for state highway administration and later for his church.”
After his brother, William Paul “Pete” Hicks, died in 1987, Mr. Hicks helped with the maintenance and chores associated with an old grist mill and farm his brother owned on Whitaker Mill Road in Joppa. He also tended a flock of sheep and grew vegetables in his garden.
Mr. Hicks was a cook who made batches of chili and homemade bread for family gatherings.
A memorial service is being planned, although no date has been set yet.
Survivors include nieces and nephews.