Thomas Edward Page, Jr.

Thomas Edward Page, Jr., passed away peacefully in his sleep during the early morning hours on Sunday, November 27, 2022, in his own home with his family members nearby just as he wished. He was born in Detroit, MI, on June 26, 1934, the only child of Thomas Edward Page, Sr., and Bertha Johnsen Page. Even as a young child, growing up in the “Great Lake State,” he was interested in acquiring a knowledge of how boats work. When he was five years old, by experimenting with bun warmer valves in the kitchen sink, he learned that he could control the level at which a boat floated. Thus, he taught himself about buoyancy, stability, and fluid dynamics. His grandparents lived on the St. Clair River, where he went to watch the boat races. He also enjoyed visiting the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, watching the ships transition from Lake Huron to Lake Erie.  He built a number of model ships, including a Mayflower replica when he was ten. Then, as a teenager, he graduated to building real wooden boats, which he used in various lakes in the Upper Peninsula. Later, he built an iceboat and put it in the water at Belle Isle, an island between the United States and Canada. Early on, his dream was to earn a degree in naval architecture at the University of Michigan. That dream was achieved in 1957 and culminated in a distinguished career as a Naval Architect at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation in Pascagoula, MS.

            He found time to become an accomplished speed skater and skier. He also played the cornet and was a Boy Scout. At the University of Michigan, he was one of only two Americans enrolled in the School of Naval Architecture. While at the University of Michigan, he worked one summer for the newly chartered city of Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, planning streets and utilities. Another summer, he worked in St. Louis for the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

            A very patriotic citizen, he served his two years in the U.S. Army before accepting a position at Ingalls Shipbuilding in 1960, eventually retiring in 1993. He was an active member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers from his student days until his retirement from Ingalls. This quiet, private man was not easy to get to know, but those who knew him sampled his encyclopedic knowledge about shipbuilding which he had acquired at the University under the leadership of Professor Harry Benford, and from the old-timers at Ingalls whom he respected so much.

Saddened by his passing are the following family members: his wife of nearly sixty years, Dorothy Robertson Page; his children Thomas Edward Page III (Mary) of Safety Harbor, FL, Dr. Melanie Olinde (Dr. Kurt) of Monroe, LA, and Heather McCreary (James) of Pascagoula, MS; cousin, Ms. Elizabeth McKnight of Seattle, WA; and eight wonderful grandchildren, Jasmine, Ashlie, Miranda, Tyler, Ethan, Gavin, Kurt Jr., and Kyle.

Graveside service will be Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 at 11:30am at Serene Memorial Gardens, Moss Point, MS . You may send condolences to his family or share a memory of him on the Tribute Wall.  

The family extends its gratitude to Dr. Richard Whitlock for more than thirty years of loving compassion and care in battling Tom’s diabetes.

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