Thomas Henry Maichak

Thomas Henry Maichak, 95, of Springfield, Virginia, passed peacefully into eternal life on November, 26, 2020. Born September 22, 1925 in Boonville, NY, Tom was the son of Polish immigrants, Walter Frank and Veronica (Godek) Maichak. He is survived by his wife, Ann Bayne Maichak; sons, Thomas Scott (Suzanne) and Michael James; daughter, Christine Maichak Clemenson (Arnold); grandsons Zachary and Max Maichak and Joseph Clemenson; stepchildren Steve and Maureen Bayne and Linda and Mo Haislip; and numerous step-grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Elizabeth (Nellenbach); his son, Sigmund Andrew; his infant granddaughter Veronica; his brothers, Benjamin, Mitchell, and Joseph; and his sister Cecelia Maichak D’Avolio. Tom graduated from Boonville HS in 1942. For the next ten years he served in the Navy through WWII and the Korean conflict while studying to receive his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Always a top student, he was inducted into both the Tau Beta Pi, and Chi Epsilon National Civil Engineering Honorary Societies. He completed graduate studies in Business Administration at the University of Buffalo. His naval career included over two years of combat duty with the Navy Amphibious Forces in South Pacific. Tom had the honor of serving on several naval ships including the USS Norfolk and the USS Salem. By 1952, when honorably discharged, he had achieved the rank of Naval Radioman First Class. In 1952, Tom married Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Nellenbach. Over 42 years of marriage, Tom and Betty were blessed with four children and two grandchildren before her death in 1995. Tom was blessed again when he joined Ann Bayne in marriage in 2002, and was welcomed into her family of loving siblings, children and grandchildren. Tom’s Civil Engineering career began in 1950, when, during his senior year at R.P.I., he was selected by Siegfried Construction Co., of Buffalo, NY, for their Executive Training Program. Hardworking Tom quickly advanced to Project Manager. Seven years later he moved his family to the metro D.C., area to become Chief Engineer and Construction Manager for Roscoe-Ajax Construction Co.. Next, Tom joined Norair Engineering Corp., of D.C., and soon became Vice President. Notable was his appointment as Project Manager on the then “new” Smithsonian Institution, Museum of History and Technology. He also personally directed the construction of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. In 1963, Norair placed Tom in charge of all field construction operations until he resigned in 1965, to form his own company, Equitable Construction Company, Inc. of Washington, D.C. For the next 20 years, Tom followed the ECCI motto of Engineering Capability Construction Integrity. His company constructed numerous municipal, private, medical, and educational buildings in the Metro DC area including the Children’s Convalescent Hospital in D.C., Robinson High School in Fairfax, and University of Maryland dorms and classroom buildings, and Phase I of the Detention and Judicial Centers for Fairfax County. His high rise office and apartment buildings changed the skyline of McLean, Virginia, where he lived and worked for many years. Tom enjoyed travel, beach vacations, fishing with friends, jogging with his Labrador, Nicky, and playing a good game of cards. Up to his last days, Tom displayed his keen intelligence and deep familial love. He will be remembered for his generous and jovial spirit. Private services will be held at Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington, VA. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at stjude.org.