Saturday, June 14, 2014
Thomas Donald McKewen, 86, passed away on the 13th of June, 2014. A native Baltimorean and a long-serving employee of the State of Maryland, he in recent years lived in Ashburn, Virginia.
Tom, or Don to family members, graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, forerunner to the United States Air Force, and was stationed in Guam from 1946 to 1947.
Tom's career focused on energy and materials recovery and waste management. He worked for the Maryland State Department of Health in the 1950s and 60s, culminating in the position of Assistant Commissioner for Health. He was the founding director of the Maryland Environmental Service, leading that state agency through the 1970s and early 1980s. Subsequently, he was a consultant for a variety of energy and waste projects. For many years, he taught engineering courses at the Johns Hopkins Evening College.
Tom earned multiple honors for his work on water pollution control and waste management, including the Arthur Sidney Bedell Award for extraordinary personal service. He also served as chairman of the American Water Works Association's Chesapeake Section and President of the Maryland Public Health Association. He was the author of some two dozen professional papers, as well as a series of stories he wrote for his grandchildren. He enjoyed history, baseball, a wide variety of music, and a good argument.
Married to Martina (Smith) McKewen since 1953, Tom is survived by his wife; his sons Sean, Brian, and Darren; his grandchildren Michael, Megan, Edgar, Sofia, Max, and Olivia McKewen; his daughters-in-law Amber McKewen and Maria Moreno. He is preceded in death by first-born son, Kevin, and his daughter-in-law Marsha McKewen.
Tom will be returning to his beloved Maryland one last time, as he has donated his body to the Maryland Anatomy Board for use in medical education and research. A memorial service is to be scheduled. Memorial donations may be made to Capital Caring, the hospice organization that helped Tom in his final days (2900 Telestar Court, Falls Church, VA 22042, 703-531-6209) or to the charity of your choice.
