Tom Pettingill M.Eng., B.Sc.(Eng.), P. Eng.
1924 - 2024
The family of Tom Pettingill is sorry to announce that Tom died at the age of 100.7076 years in his home on Remembrance Day with loved ones around him. (Tom was always very precise!) He was also a deeply spiritual man.
Tom Kirkby Ogden Pettingill and his twin brother Walter Cecil Ogden Pettingill, the sons of Victor and Mary Pettingill, were born on February 26, 1924 in the Town of March, Cambridgeshire, England. (They were born in February and March!). With their elder sister Peggy Henrietta Mary Pettingill, they were brought up in the town surrounded by their mother Mary’s Ogden family, where the Ogdens have been settled for hundreds of years.
Tom studied engineering at the University of London and upon graduation in 1944 near the end of the Second World War Tom promptly enlisted in the Royal Navy. During his two years in the Royal Navy Tom developed an abiding love for the sea. Afterwards, Tom found employment with Peter Brotherhood Engineers. While on assignment to supervise the installation of compressors for the manufacturing of explosives used in mining in Johannesburg, South Africa, carrying his skates (always a very keen skater!), at a bus stop, Tom met Jutta Josephine Maria Schüling from Ramsdorf, Westphalia, Germany. Jutta was in Johannesburg doing her nurses training. Within days Tom and Jutta fell in love and became engaged. With his work assignment completed, Tom returned to England while Jutta finished her studies. They exchanged love letters about their work, their love of photography and their adventures. Eighteen months later in October 1954 Tom and Jutta married, and shortly thereafter in June 1955, leaving their families behind, they emigrated to Canada. Soon after arriving, they bought approximately 18 acres in the countryside near Norval, Ontario, designed and built their own home, had seven children, planted thousands of trees, an orchard and many blackcurrant bushes. Very sadly their adventure together ended when Jutta died from a brain tumour in 1987.
Tom was a natural born engineer. Equations and formulas explaining fundamentals about how everything works rolled off his tongue as fluidly as the poetry he liked to memorize. He loved language, learning and conundrums.
Tom worked on turbine engine development for the Avro Arrow interceptor aircraft and when that project folded he stayed on with Hawker Siddeley until the early 1970’s. Following that, Tom began his new professional career teaching engineering at Sheridan College in Brampton. Tom brought his rigorous English school teaching methods, and over the years a number of his students praised him for his ways and as a result of Tom's stringent teaching demands, many of them went on to become very successful.
For his master’s thesis Tom specialized in thermodynamics of stirling type engines for the artificial heart. This is relevant because he had such a strong heart himself. Tom was extremely vigorous and fit and he promoted the same personal discipline to everyone around him. Tom enjoyed skating until the age of 93 and even after that continued to enjoy long walks in the countryside.
In the mid 1980's Tom installed a ground source heat pump in his house, continued with work in this area of technology and went on to patent his own thermal regenerative device (heat pump).
Tom dedicated himself to the Norval Community Association for 40 years and to CNIB’s "Voice Print” TV news show for the blind in Toronto, for 17 years, and to various other organizations. Tom believed strongly in giving of himself to others. An ardent conservationist, Tom covered his acres with ash and walnut copses and many other beautiful species of trees as well. He also planted hundreds of daffodils lining the roads of the hills in all four directions from the Village of Norval. Every spring this makes a lovely vision in the community.
Tom leaves behind his children Mary, Becky (Jim), Tim (who died of leukaemia in 1981), Sonja, Cria (Lloyd), Helen, John (Tinla), his grandchildren Kirsten, Amalie, David, George, Kit, Eilish, Robert, Golda, Georgia, Ava and Gemma, along with six great grandchildren.
The family is enormously grateful for the loving care these past few years, from Sharon, Kemar, and a number of others. Tremendous gratitude also for the love and support from wonderful neighbours and friends, including his dear friend Sheila.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Georgetown Hospital Foundation or the Credit Valley Conservation Authority.
Visitation
Jones Funeral Home, Thursday November 21, 2:00 - 4:00 pm and 6:00 - 8:00 pm
11582 Trafalgar Road, Georgetown, ON, L7G 4S4
Funeral Mass
To take place at Holy Cross Church, Friday November 22 at 10:30 am
14400 Argyll Road, Georgetown, ON, L76 5S6
Reception to follow immediately, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Private Interment