Thomas E. Nielson

Thomas E. Nielson, age 52, died on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at home surrounded by family. He was the beloved husband of Erin (Fitch) Nielson and proud father of T. Graham, Maggie and Skylar (nee Lorelei.)

Tom was born in New Britain, CT on September 21, 1972, the son of Linda (Wood) Nielson of Wethersfield, CT and the late Thomas W. Nielson of Berlin, CT. He is survived by his sister, Mette Kaufman (Max) of Fairbanks, AK; sister, Heather Smith (Wayne) of Berlin, CT and brother, Allan Nielson (Heather) of Glastonbury, CT. Tom was a much-loved son-in-law to Ron and Sandy Fitch of Suffield, CT; brother-in-law to Sara and John Fitch-O’Leary of Burlington, VT and Holly Fitch and Danny Briere of Mansfield Center, CT and lucky uncle to ten special nieces and nephews. Tom’s life was richer for his lifelong friendships, including his first and always best friend, Steve Martin.

Tom spent much of his childhood and early adult years on the family farm, Cold Spring Brook Farm, in Berlin, Connecticut. As a child, the farm provided the perfect setting for adventure and exploration with his siblings and cousins. As a teenager, Tom worked long days on the farm seven days a week during the busy season, much to the frustration of his friends and future wife. When facing challenges in life as an adult, Tom would recall that there is nothing quite so daunting as standing at the beginning of a row of string beans with an empty bushel basket in your hands.

Tom earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from UConn and a Master’s Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UMass. Tom was described by many as “the smartest person I know.” With Tom around, one hardly needed the internet because he could answer almost any question on a range of topics, from astronomy to antiquity. He was humble, possessed an incredible wit used only to amuse and never to hurt. Tom was always willing to try to fix your camcorder or your lawnmower and spent many holidays providing tech support.

Tom was not a traditional good student and meandered through college on an extended plan. When he graduated, he applied several times for jobs with Lockheed Martin and was rejected. He met his first professional mentor, Pete Clemens, at a job fair and started his career at Sanders Associates in Lexington, MA, a Lockheed company, working on infrared imaging. Tom found it funny that Lockheed eventually got “stuck” with him anyway when Pete invited him in through the back door. Tom stayed on through the purchase by BAE Systems. In total, Tom worked as an electrical engineer for over twenty-five years in the defense industry. He was respected at work for his skills as a gifted engineer, problem solver and mentor to younger engineers. Tom took great pride in contributing to keeping our soldiers and first responders safe. He was grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from many excellent colleagues over his career, and held a special place for the EBB (Eggs Benedict Breakfast) contingent of his early years as an engineer.

Tom enjoyed music, skiing and was a great cook. He liked inventing new dishes to feed the family and sharing his love of astronomy. Above all, Tom was a family man. If he couldn’t be on a ski slope with them, Tom was happiest at home with his wife and children beside him, with no bigger plans than to settle in for a family movie night.

Tom was a lover of animals. His pets provided great comfort to him during his illness and were by his side at the time of his passing. Donations in Tom’s honor may be made to Pat Brody Shelter for Cats or Misfit Farms Rescue and Sanctuary.

Family and friends are invited to calling hours on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 from 4 until 7 PM at the WESTFORD HEALY FUNERAL HOME, Westford. For directions and condolences, please visit www.westfordhealy.com. Tom’s family have created a gmail address if you would like to share memories or photos of Tom as you think of them. Please share at any time to tomnielsonmemories@gmail.com.