Tom Lewis #55

Thomas W. Lewis III (Tom) was born in Charlotte, NC to Thomas W. Lewis Jr. and Jewell Hipps Lewis. He grew up in the Charlotte, NC and Alexandria, VA areas. He attended Dilworth Elementary School, Sedgefield Junior High School, Hammond High School, and then graduated from T. C. Williams High School in 1973. While at T.C. Tom played center on the 1971 Virginia State Champion Football Team. Following that special season, Tom participated in a football clinic sponsored by the Washington Redskins at RFK stadium and attended the DC Youth Leader camp where he met many players form schools all over the Washington Metropolitan Area.  During his senior year he played center on the 1972 Potomac District Champion football team.

After a number of odd jobs Tom enlisted in the U.S. Navy. There he was trained as a missile systems radar technician. During his enlistment he served aboard the USS Dale, CG 19 and as a radar principles instructor in Great Lakes, IL. While a member of the missile systems group aboard the USS Dale, he and his division were awarded several fleet wide awards in addition to his 4 individual letters of commendation.

After leaving the Navy in 1982, Tom worked as a radar systems engineering aid and field engineer for Raytheon in Wayland, MA. There his work was recognized with 2 Achievement Awards. During his time with Raytheon, he married Carol Woodbeck of Jacksonville, FL. They met while Tom was in the Navy and they now have a daughter, Blake Caroline.

With the invaluable support of Carol, Tom attended Jacksonville University and the University of Florida. He graduated with Bachelors degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering in 1991. Later he graduated from the University of South Florida with a Masters of Science in Engineering Management. His senior design project was used in a continuing NASA lightning research project with the University of Florida.

Tom feels his time as a Navy radar technician lead to his perusing engineering. He remembers Paul Hines (Football Coach), Willey Mitchell (Friends’ Father), and Lee Campbell (Family Friend) as the people who most challenged him to strive for success. Tom admired and appreciated these men for how they conducted themselves.  “It was their general example that I reflected on as I matured as an adult.  I owe these men a great deal. They still encourage me on after all this time. “

His first engineering position was in 1991 with the Edison Engineering Program at General Electric in Largo, Fl. With GE he received  2 Achievement awards and says his time there was a wonderful learning experience. In 1997, he began working with the Center for Ocean Technology at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, FL. There he designed equipment for use in research by oceanologist. Then in 1998, he transferred to Linvatec, Corporation as a manufacturing engineer where he continues as a manufacturing engineering manager. Linvatec is a manufacturer of surgical equipment and implants in Largo, FL.

Tom, as a proud and interested father, has worked as a classroom volunteer and coach for baseball and soccer. He continues to volunteer as a board of directors’ member and treasurer of a non-profit day care organization.