THOMAS DEVINE

DEVINE--Thomas J., died Monday, October 28. Tom possessed an engineer's analytical mind, displayed a wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, and maintained many close friendships across his 92, well-lived years. Above all, he was known for his integrity and loyalty. Born in Rochester, NY, in 1926, to Adrian G. and Charlotte W. Devine, Tom joined the Navy the day before his 18th birthday. After graduating from M.I.T. in 1949, he became a CIA staff officer. He went West in 1953 and roughnecked on a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico before landing in Midland, TX. During his time in Midland, he was an independent oil operator and a Director of Zapata Off-Shore Corporation. In 1968, he was an advisor to then-Congressman George H.W. Bush, traveling with him in Asia during the Vietnam War. After moving to New York City, Tom pursued a management and financial consulting career. In 1981, he became a Director of Stonetex Oil Corporation and stayed actively involved until his death. Also in 1981, he became a Member of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Corporation, continuing on as a Life Trustee until his death. For Tom, who had both the oil patch and the sea in his blood, there was nothing paradoxical about being an environmentalist and an oil and gas man. Tom was a Trustee of The Boys' Club of New York (1977-2006), a Trustee of The Episcopal School (1980-1988), and a Life Trustee of The Buckley School. Wearing his engineering hat, he oversaw construction of new buildings for all three institutions. Tom was a Member of The Council on Foreign Relations, The Racquet and Tennis Club, The River Club of New York, and the Nantucket Yacht Club. Tom's first family was that of his widowed sister, Louise W. Carter, and her four daughters, whom he adored. In 1973 he married Alix Mills, with whom he had a daughter, Alison Devine Bardeen, and a son, Thomas J. Devine, Jr. (Jamie). They survive him, as do his son-in-law, William Bardeen, his daughter- in-law, Mollie Anderson Devine, and his four grandchildren: Eloise Bardeen, Marguerite Bardeen, Thomas J. Devine III (James) and Eleanor Devine. The only thing Tom loved as much as Alix, his children, and his grandchildren was his boat, Old Glory. Tom was happiest with friends and family on Old Glory in Nantucket Harbor, discussing international affairs, politics, and the latest developments in everyone's lives. Tom's life will be celebrated at a November gathering in New York City. His ashes will rejoin Nantucket Harbor in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institution or The Boys' Club of New York.