Thomas M. Lynam

Thomas M. Lynam, age 85, a resident of Grace Ridge Retirement Community, passed away in Morganton, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. He was born on January 26, 1933 in Sylva, NC to Michael Joseph and Frances Margaret (Draper) Lynam, immigrants who moved to Robbinsville, NC in part because the landscape reminded them of their homeland - Ireland.  In his youth, the family moved to Morganton following his father’s work as Superintendent of the Public Welfare Department, Burke County.  Tom played American Legion baseball and was a strong student, receiving an engineering scholarship based on scholastic ability at the North Carolina State (College) sponsored by the American Enka Corporation.

Tom went on to graduate from NC State with a degree in Civil Engineering, where he was president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), president of the class of 1955, speaker for the graduating class at commencement, played varsity soccer and was initiated into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.  Tom also went on to receive a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before embarking on a career with Esso (now Exxon) that would take him to oil refinery operations around the world: the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Italy, Canada, and Libya where his children all spent their early years and of which they have fond memories.

Tom was interested in everything; he remained engaged in all manner of subjects throughout his life.

He is survived by his sister Frances (Lynam) Huffman of Winston-Salem, ex-wife Ank, three children, Michael (Kristen) of Olympia, WA, Rob (Barbara) of Geneva, Switzerland and Anneke of Morganton and four grandchildren Cole, Alec, Lucy and Miles.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m., Sunday, April 8, 2018 in the Table Rock Room at Grace Ridge.  At other times the family will be at the residence of Anneke Lynam on Clearwater Drive.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a contribution to either Epilepsy Research at https://nyulangone.org/give/funds/faces-finding-a-cure-for-epilepsy-and-seizures or Autism Research at https://researchautism.org/get-involved/make-a-gift/donate/.

Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.