Thomas McDermott Sr., chairman of the A.I. McDermott Co., Oshkosh, Wis., passed away peacefully at his home in Oshkosh on July 17. The son of the late Albert and Stella McDermott, he was born in 1932, and after graduating from the University of Notre Dame and serving as a Marine Corp officer, joined the A.I. McDermott Co. – or McDermott Pumps as it came to be more commonly known – in 1956.

McDermott worked in numerous positions within the company, eventually becoming president and chairman. He was active from very early in his career with state and national industry associations, chairing or serving on the boards of the Wisconsin Pump & Well Suppliers, the National Ground Water Association’s Suppliers’ Division, the American Supply Association’s Government Affairs Committee, and many other organizations dedicated to the professional development of our industry.