Thomas D. Rennie

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announces with great sorrow
the death May 29, 2006 of retiree Thomas D. Rennie at Falmouth
Hospital. He was 83.

Tom was born May 8, 1923 in Santuit, MA and attended Barnstable High
School, graduating in 1941. He also attended Massachusetts Maritime
Academy for a year and a half before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in
1944, serving with the 7th fleet in the South Pacific during the
invasion of Guam and the Philippines.

He first joined the Institution staff  in September 1946 as an assistant engineer on the research vessel Balanus,
leaving a year later to work at the Town of Falmouth’s pumping station as a steam
engineer. He returned to WHOI in June 1948, working as a refrigeration
mechanic and in ship repair until 1956, when he left WHOI again to take
over the family trucking and landscape business. Although self-employed until July 1965, he
maintained a “consultant” status with the Institution and was called
from time to time as a ship repair construction supervisor, generally
on the research vessel Chain which had just joined the Institution fleet.

In 1965 Tom decided private business was not for him, and with some
persuasion by the “shop gang” returned to WHOI again as a senior
mechanic.  His skills in diesel and steam engineering, air
conditioning, mechanical equipment, engine repairs and the like were put
to good use in 1969 during the Alvin salvage operations, when Tom
sailed as chief engineer on research vessel Crawford.

During the construction of Clark Laboratory from 1972 to 1974, Tom was
assigned as plant mechanic overseeing the installation and operation of
the complex heating and air conditioning systems of the Institution’s
largest building.  He was promoted to senior mechanic in 1974,
named senior plant mechanic in 1977, and was promoted to plant
supervisor
in 1981 before retiring in 1988. Through the years he also had
responsibility
for McLean, Crawford, Gosnold, ESL, Fye and the Shore Lab, some 17
buildings in all.  He handled the varied responsibilities, from
midnight emergency calls from the security guard when the ESL alarm
went off to hanging pictures in offices for staff, with a smile.

A quiet man, Tom was a dedicated employee whose knowledge and abilities
were admired.  He was a mentor and advisor to many in the
Facilities department and took great pride in his work. He operated
equipment and machinery at
peak performance, often returning at night to shut down equipment to
take advantage of heating/cooling efficiencies, to save wear and tear
on machinery, and to save fuel costs for the Institution.

Survivors include his wife, Sally (Bearse) Rennie of Cotuit, MA; a son,
Ted Rennie of Cotuit; a brother, Francis Rennie of Cotuit; and several
nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held Thursday, June 1, at 1 p.m. at
Mosswood Cemetery on Putnam Avenue in Cotuit. Memorial donations may be
made to the Cotuit Firefighter’s Association, P.O. Box 85, Cotuit, MA
02635.