Joseph Anthony Thie PhD.

Joseph (Joe) Anthony Thie, Ph.D., peacefully passed away May 23 at Park West Medical Center. Joe, age 95, lived a successful life in both his career as an internationally known nuclear physicist and in his positive example of character, humility, faith, and humanity.
Preceding Joe in death were his parents, Joseph Thie Sr. And Veronica Volk Thie, two brothers, Julius and John Thie, sister Mary Ann Seufert, and brothers-in-law Cliff Seufert, Gus Jonas, and Don McHolland.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Fran Thie, sisters Therese McHolland, Martha Thie, and Cecelia Turner, brother-in-law Dick Turner, and numerous nieces and nephews along with their families.
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Joe attended Little Flower Elementary School and Cathedral High School. At Cathedral he was recognized as a brilliant student who attained the highest scholastic record in the school's history. Through aid by Brothers of the Holy Cross, Joe received a full scholarship to Notre Dame University at the end of his junior year at Cathedral. In 1947 when he returned as valedictorian of his high school class, he had already acquired 1 1/2 years of college credits.
Joe graduated from Notre Dame at age 19 with a Magna Cum Laude degree in Physics, and later his Ph.D in Nuclear Physics at age 23. He also briefly studied at the University of Chicago and then, as an Atomic Energy Commission Graduate Fellow, did post doctoral research in theoretical physics at Cornell University under the direction of Hans Bethe, a future Nobel Prize honoree in physics.
After starting his career teaching at the University of Dayton, Joe joined Argonne National Laboratory as a research physicist. At Argonne, he was the Chief Design Group Leader for development of America's first boiling water reactor which became the prototype for today's modern nuclear reactors.
Later Joe became an independent consultant in nuclear physics and nuclear medicine. He has served on various scientific committees and boards, assisted in research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Department of Nuclear Engineering, and collaborated with doctors at several research oriented hospitals. His skills were kept active even during retirement when as a volunteer he continued doing research along with hospital medical staff primarily on diagnostic oncology.
Joe represented the United States as a delegate to two United Nations Atoms for Peace Conferences (1958 and 1964) in Geneva, Switzerland and at the 1968 Japanese - American Nuclear Conference in Tokyo, Japan. He has lectured internationally on subjects such as nuclear reactor design, safety diagnosis, and dynamic processes. He has a large body of published work, including several books and numerous papers based on original research in nuclear power and nuclear medicine, many of which were presented at professional meetings. Joe has received several honors including distinguished alumni awards from schools he attended and an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of Indianapolis. He was a member of the American Nuclear Society, the Society of Nuclear Medicine, and Mensa.
Many of Joe's peers have considered him a pioneer in the early days of commercial nuclear reactors, especially in his research on nuclear random phenomena, often called "Nuclear Noise." His first book addressed this topic specifically which caused some fellow scientists to refer to him as the "Father of Noise."
Research and science did not consume all of Joe's life. He was also a talented musician who was quite accomplished at the piano and marimba. As an amateur tap dancer in his younger years, he later combined that talent with his analytic knowledge and wrote two books on the mathematics of choreography. Joe was also always there when a family member needed him, and he became a model for nieces and nephews on how to lead a meaningful, faith based successful life. Joe has been active in his Catholic parish and diocese, having served on the Board of Trustees of the Diocesan Catholic Education Trust Fund and as a member of his parish St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Visitation and a rosary will occur at Click Funeral Home in Farragut Tuesday, June 6, at 5:00pm.
A funeral mass will be held at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Farragut at 1:30 on Wednesday, June 7.