The following is a LinkedIn post from Steven Rosen:
It is with a heavy heart that I share news of the passing of my mentor, colleague, and friend, Thomas M. Lemons. Tom was a remarkable inventor, engineer, mathematician, and designer—a brilliant freethinker who never encountered a problem he didn’t relish solving.
Tom was a true lion of the lighting industry, contributing for decades to both the IES and CIE. As a young engineer at Sylvania Lighting, he revolutionized the theatrical lighting industry by introducing the tungsten-halogen light source. He instinctively recognized how this compact, ball of light would transform luminaire design for entertainment. As the lighting designer for iconic ballfields such as Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, “TML” would tell clients that the lighting could be tailored to favor either the pitcher or the batter—choose one.
My own journey with Tom began thanks to a connection between my professor at Webster College, Peter Sargent, and Tom himself. This introduction led to an internship at TLA Lighting Consultants in Salem MA. In 1985, just 18 months after completing graduate school, Tom invited me to join his company, prompting my move to Massachusetts. I was young, eager, and ambitious, but it didn’t take long for Tom and his partner, Rick Chamberlain, to make it very clear to me that I did not know what I did not know.
Tom’s mentorship over the next 39 years shaped me in profound ways. He never suffered fools gladly, his high expectations pushed me to grow, and the knowledge I gained under his tutelage was invaluable to my own development as both a professional and industry contributor.
In his memory, Tom’s wife, Priscilla, and their daughters, Elizabeth, and Kate, ask that donations be made to the Thomas M. Lemons Scholarship Fund, hosted by the IALD Education Trust.
Rest in peace, TML. Thank you for both seeing in me that which I could not see in myself and for shaping the trajectory of my life and career.
Obituary:
https://lnkd.in/eX5_UsmZ
IALD Education Trust
https://lnkd.in/eH5N7Cu6
