Thomas Albert Likos, 90, of West Chatham, died at Liberty Commons Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center on July 30 after a brief illness.
Mr. Likos was the devoted husband for 67 years of Aldona Likos, who survives him.
Born of Lithuanian immigrant parents and raised in South Boston, he attended Boston Latin and graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University in 1942, married and moved to Lodi, N.J., before relocating to Milton in 1945.
He served as an elected Milton Town Meeting member and was active in the community, including Boy Scouts, PTA, Youth Council, Friends of Milton Hospital, CYO, and the Heart Fund campaign. Mr. Likos was a member of St. Elizabeth Parish, and of Holy Redeemer Parish in Chatham.
A registered professional engineer in Massachusetts since 1948, he started as a junior engineer with Westinghouse Electric in 1942. During World War II, in Lodi, he worked under contract to the Navy in the development of anti-aircraft tracking radar.
Promoted to consulting engineer in 1950 and later to district electrical engineer at Westinghouse, he provided advisory and technical support in practically every paper mill expansion in the Northeast, including the design of the power systems and drives to two of the largest machines in the nation at that time. A first in the industry, he promoted the use of programmable controllers at Boise Cascade in Rumford, Maine.
Mr. Likos had been actively involved with the International Association of Electrical and Electronic Engineers pulp and paper committee since 1950 and was a recognized member of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry. He was promoted to the position of fellow engineer in 1983 and retired from Westinghouse as a senior engineer in 1987.
He was an instructor at Wentworth Institute, lectured at the Edison Electric Institute, had articles published and held several patent disclosures.
In his spare time, he designed and built an expansion to the home he and his wife shared in Milton and, in 1958, their summer home in Chatham. He and Mrs. Likos moved to Chatham in 1991, and spent winters at their home in Venice, Fla.
He was a member of Chatham Yacht Club who enjoyed sailing his Sunfish off Hardings Beach and the family Daysailer in Pleasant Bay. He started the lobster bake tradition at Hardings Shores Association that has continued for 35 years. He and his wife traveled throughout the United States, as well as China, Thailand, Europe, the Carribean, Central America and Polynesia.
He is also survived by his daughter, Dianne Connelly and her husband, Fred, of Chatham; his three sons, David Likos, Thomas Likos Jr. and his wife, Patricia, of Hawaii, and Stephen Likos and his wife, Lillian, of Canton; and his grandchildren, Kathleen, Marcia, Carolyn and her fiancé Jeff, Alex, Hillary and Elizabeth. His dog, Abagale, will miss their ice cream socials at night.
A funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Elizabeth Church, on Aug. 3. Burial was in Milton Cemetery.
Donations may be made to the Visiting Nurses Association of Cape Cod, 255 Independence Drive, Hyannis, MA 02601/Philanthropy.
Arrangements were by the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home.