Charles Thomas “Tom” Hess, Ph.D. OLD TOWN – Tom Hess, 83, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, from complications of Parkinson’s disease and kidney cancer, in the loving presence of his wife, Anne, and son, Sam.
Tom was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 21, 1940, to Louis C. Hess and Frieda Cronenwett Hess.
His early years were spent with his uncle Chris and aunt Gladys Tiemann, and his cousins Bill and Judy, in Cincinnati. At age four, he returned to live with his parents in Michigan City, Indiana, where he spent his youth among the waters and dunes of Lake Michigan, proudly bringing home fish, wild asparagus, and coal to his family. At age seven, he became a proud big brother when his sister Susan was born, and he protected, nurtured, and mentored her for the rest of his life.
Despite having a very difficult childhood, Tom became an excellent scholar, rising to meet challenges with his quick wit, intuition, intelligence, and amazing creativity. He graduated from Michigan City High School in 1958, received his B.S.
from Wabash College in 1962, and earned his Ph.D. in physics from Ohio University in 1967, which was based on mathematical models of nuclear structure solved with novel computational approaches.
In 1969, he joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maine and began teaching and doing research focusing on nuclear physics. After a sabbatical in Houston from 1979-80, he began working in health physics..