Thomas Self

1947 - 2026

Thomas David Self passed away on February 14, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Tom was born in 1947 in McAlester, Oklahoma, to Virginia Easley Self and Burl E. Self. After graduating from McAlester High School in 1965, he attended Northeastern State University, earning his BS in Math and Physics. After graduation he became employed full-time in the natural gas industry and attended night classes at University of Tulsa where he obtained his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. During that same time, he did computer programing on the Wang computer on the weekends. He also proudly served his country as a Captain in the Army National Guard. Oh yes, and in his spare time he built 3 of our family homes.

For most of his career Tom was a manufacturers' representative in the heat transfer industry. In 2001, he was given the opportunity to purchase Air-Cooled Exchangers in Broken Arrow. While at ACE he invented and patented a revolutionary new heat transfer tube which enabled the company to expand into additional markets. In 2013 he sold ACE and retired.

Tom had many varied interests including golf, tennis, scuba diving, reading science fiction and piloting his Piper Cherokee.

Tom was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Burl Self, Jr. He is survived by his wife Pamela; his daughter Ashley Bray and her husband Robert Heath, their son Barrett and daughter Kaylen; his son Doug and wife Kristi, their daughters Megan and Emily, their son Jacob; stepsons Jonathan and Michael Laks; a sister, Virginia Panter; and his former wife Brenda.

A Celebration of Life is planned In Tulsa at a date to be determined.