Thomas Risdon

Thomas J. Risdon, age 73, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 30, 2013. He was born Sept. 22, 1939 in Detroit, the son of Walter J. and M. Virginia (Hitchcock) Risdon. Tom graduated from Cooley High School in Detroit in 1957, and earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Detroit in 1962. He started working for Climax Molybdenum Co. in 1963, and founded Solid Lubricants Solutions consulting company in 2000. Tom was a world renowned expert in the field of solid lubricants, and wrote and presented numerous papers on the subject area of greases and molybdenum disulfide containing greases. He was a member of The Society of Automotive Engineers, Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, National Lubricating Grease Institute. Tom was a faithful member of Faith Ev. Lutheran Church since 1979, serving on the church council as Secretary, President, and Elder and sang in the church choir. He also was a loyal attendee of Dexter Community Band concerts from their beginning, watching his wife play trumpet. On May 5, 1979, he married Phyllis Jedele. Other survivors include his two children, Dan (Sara) and Lori Risdon; brother- and sisters-in-law, James and Nancy Jedele and Carol Tunningley; and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his twin brother, Richard W. Risdon. Funeral services will be Saturday, May 4, 5 pm at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Dexter. Burial will be Monday at Lodi Cemetery, Saline. Visitation at Cole Funeral Chapel Friday 3-5 and 7-9 pm. Memorial contributions to Faith Ev. Lutheran Church or St. Joseph Cancer Care Center.