Thomas Locke Rust III

1944 - 2023

Rust

Thomas Locke Rust III

3/26/1944 - 11/6/2023

Thomas Locke Rust III "Tom", age 79, of Alexandria, Virginia passed away on November 6, 2023. He was born on March 26, 1944, to Sophie Stuart Rust and Robert Nelson Rust of Arlington, Virginia. He attended Wakefield High School (class of 1962) and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN (class of 1966).



When his father died suddenly in 1973, Tom assumed leadership of Rust Construction, steering it through ebbs and flows of prosperity alongside his then wife, Susan. In the early 1970's, he managed the construction of some of the first solar homes ever built in the DC Metro area, including his family's early residence in Old Town, Alexandria. As his career progressed, he focused on residential remodeling projects. His expertise as a remodeler and restorer of old homes became well known in Northern Virginia and the Washington, DC area. Tom and Susan divorced amicably and continued to work together for many years. Tom handed over the day-to-day management of Rust Construction to his sons, Tom Locke and Sam, in 2019. He continued to work in the office daily until the start of the pandemic, after which he continued to provide his sons with much appreciated technical support and invaluable business advice until his last days.



Many will remember Tom fondly for his quiet charisma, his reputation as a fine homebuilder, and love of dogs. Tom was an artist at heart. He was passionate about design, had a knack for drawing, and a natural ability to draft complicated building details by hand. Tom is survived by his partner, Kimberly Keleher; his children - Thomas Locke Rust IV, Sarah Rust Johnson, and Samuel Nelson Rust; his siblings - Robert Nelson Rust III, Roger Stuart Rust, John Whitney Rust, and Mary Delashmutt Rust, and his grandchildren - Alexander, Sophie, Rowan, Amalie, and John.



Services will be held at St Paul's Episcopal Church at 228 South Pitt St. in Old Town Alexandria, VA on Friday, November 17 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the St Paul's Foundation or the Alexandria Seaport Foundation.