Thomas J. Besmer Sr. ’60, Sep. 5, 1933 to Jan. 13, 2015. Tom Besmer was a big man in more ways than one. Standing at 6’5 ½” tall, he was not one to be missed. As a young man, and from a family of nine children, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After the Navy, he married Dovaleen (Gross) and he attended Santa Clara University. During those years, they lived in the old Quonset huts. It was an era when married students attended SCU and lived on campus. He played basketball for the Broncos and graduated with a BSEE in engineering in 1960.
After graduating, they settled in Cambrian Park, and attended St. Francis Cabrini Parish, then moved to West San Jose and attended St. Martin of Tours Parish with their eleven children.
Tom was employed by both Lockeed and IBM, and contributed to accessories which were utilized on the space missions of the late ’60s and ’70s. He is listed on the World Wide List of Dissident Scientists by Jean du Climont for his work on new theories of free energy.
In the early 1980’s, Tom became involved in Alcoholics Anonymous and achieved 31 years of sobriety before succumbing to cancer. During that time, he built a strong community both in San Jose before retirement, and then in the Murphys and Angels Camp areas of the Sierra Foothills.
He loved to golf, talk politics, share his opinions on religion, and socialize. He contributed to many charities each month as he believed in the Jesuit ideal of being a Man for Others, and finding God everywhere.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence Besmer and Mary Catherine Ambrose, and by siblings Margaret, Annette, Lawrence and Helene, and survived by sisters Mary Gentes (Joe), Janet Besmer, Anna Kenny (Joe), and brother Anthony (Patty). Tom is survived by his ex-wife Dovaleen Jackson (Ed), and his eleven children: Michelle (Gary) Besmer-Poyner, Tom (Barbara) Besmer, Maureen Shilling ’81 (Ken), Cindy (Jim) Miller, Kathy (Glenn) Walker, Dan (Desiree) Besmer, Eileen (Jim) Shydlowski, John (Jennifer) Besmer, Sharon Dauskardt, Joan (Doug) Evans, Marianna (Craig) Newsam, and his 22 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.