THOMAS BARTON

1924 - 2022

BARTON--Thomas. Thomas Heisler Barton, age 98, died November 18, 2022 at Mary Manning Walsh Hospice in New York City of complications of pneumonia. Born in Chicago, IL in 1924, he was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Jo Jeanne Millon Barton, his daughter Brooke Barton MD, his parents Jay and Agnes Heisler Barton, and his brothers Jay Barton II and John Barton. He is survived by his daughter, Avril Moore, and his grandchildren, Thomas, Diana, and Juliet Moore. At graduation from Batavia, IL High School in June 1942, Tom was commissioned as Ensign in Navy ROTC, and began his degree at Northwestern University, graduating Tau Beta Pi in two years with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He immediately reported for duty as Lt. JG on the U.S. Brooklyn, a CL 40 light cruiser on Atlantic Duty. At war's end, the Navy enrolled him in the Boulder, CO Oriental Language School in Russian. He spent the rest of his military service in Washington DC working on Russian technology. He attended the Harvard Business School, as his father had, and began a civilian career in electronics and marketing at Beckman Instruments. Tom's expertise in management consulting, technology, and electronics led to a long and varied career, including vice presidencies with Barrington Associates and American Express, founding his international consulting firm, Thomas H. Barton & Co., publishing books and articles on technology and banking, and serving as an expert witness in banking, regulatory, and economic matters. Tom was particularly involved in nuclear power and fuels, working with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Upon moving to New York City in 1950, he had met his wife, Jo Jeanne Millon, and in six decades of marriage, they traveled extensively in Europe, South America, India and the Far East for business and to indulge their shared interests in gastronomy, genealogy, and family lore. An oenophile and a bon vivant, he spoke five languages fluently and read a further two, regularly quoting his favorite poets in all seven after a glass of burgundy. Tom was a director of several high technology firms and Trustee Emeritus of St. Vincent's Hospital, New York. He was recently honored as a Life Member of The Union Club of New York; he was a 50-year member of the Harvard Club and member of The St. Nicholas Society, The Society of Colonial Wars, and the National Association of Clock and Watch Collectors. Tom enjoyed Gluck's operas, A.E. Housman's poetry, and the Benny Hill Show. Tom was buried privately at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. In January 2023, the family will hold a Memorial Service at St. Thomas More Church, where he was married in 1952.