Thomas E. McClelland

Thomas E. McClelland, Sr. Thomas E. McClelland, 95, passed away September 13, 2012 in Olympia, Wash. He was born on August 2, 1917 in Auburn, New York, to Thomas E. and Atha F. (Fitzgerald) McClelland. Tom was the second of three children. At the age of two, Tom moved to Dallas, Oregon. When he was 16, he left home for San Francisco and worked as a theater usher and put himself through high school. After high school, he attended college where he studied engineering. In 1937, while in San Francisco, he married the love of his life, Alda Faye Carson. They then moved to Vancouver, Washington. During WWII, he worked at the Kaiser Corporation ship yards and was promoted to lead engineer for aircraft carrier hull design in New York. He later served as Director of Urban Renewal in Vancouver, Washington and in Clark County as the Planning Director. After that, he worked at the Washington State Dept. of Water Resources as Asst. Director, which necessitated their move to Olympia, Wash. in 1967. In later years, he devoted his work efforts to property development. Tom loved woodworking, piloting airplanes, boating, the beach, and was devoted to his family. Tom and Alda were married 63 years until her death in 2001. He is also preceded in death by his eldest son, Thomas McClelland Jr., and his sisters, Elizabeth and Barbara. He is survived by daughter-in-law, Judy (Epps) McClelland, Vancouver, Washington; son, George and Carol (Hamanishi) McClelland, Fruitland, Idaho; Raymond and Mickey (Beavers) McClelland, Banks, Oregon; daughter, Kathleen (McClelland) Wright, Lacey, Washington. He was blessed to have nine grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Please leave memories of Tom or condolences for the family in the Guestbook below.