SHEAFFER, Thomas Lee

Formerly of Brookline, MA, passed away peacefully at his home in Fort Lauderdale, FL on November 11, 2022. He was 83. Son of the late Robert and Josephine Sheaffer, Tom was born in Philadelphia, and raised in Flourtown, PA. He was the salutatorian of the inaugural class of Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. Before graduating from Cornell University with a bachelors in architecture, Tom served two years in the U.S. Army as post engineer in Garmisch, Germany. Upon graduation, he moved to Boston to begin his career, eventually earning his masters in Urban Studies from Boston University. While working for Goody Clancy, he was the project architect for the Whitehead Institute at Nine Cambridge Center, completed in 1984. After starting his own firm, Sheaffer Architects, he continued to work on design for the Whitehead Institute, including almost all of the projects for the Genome Center (now The Broad Institute) until 2003. He considered his contributions to the Institute to be the highlight of his professional career. Tom had a passion for classic cars and was a member of numerous car clubs including the Yankee Lambda Car Club. He attended countless car shows, and took pride in driving his mint condition 1955 Chrysler Windsor DeLuxe convertible. He played the piano and loved classical music, particularly Chopin. After retiring to Florida, he became a friend and supporter of the South Florida Symphony. He was a founding board member of the World AIDS Museum and Educational Center in Fort Lauderdale. Tom was a smart, thoughtful and generous person and above all he was devoted to his family, and was the keeper of family history. The loving father of Eben and Inga; grandfather of Vivian; former husband of Karen; uncle to nieces and nephews; and brother of the late Robert T. Sheaffer Jr. He is also survived by many cousins and dear friends. A Celebration of Life will be held in Fort Lauderdale.