Thomas Lawrence Higgins Jr.

Thomas Lawrence Higgins, Jr. of Williamsburg, VA passed away peacefully on June 26, 2026 after successfully fighting cancer and bravely facing down a series of complications from treatment. Tom handled his medical diagnoses with the determination, devotion to his wife and integrity that defined his life.

Born on April 15, 1952, in Brooklyn, NY, Tom was the son of Bridget and Thomas L. Higgins, Sr. He met his wife, Margaret Burke "Peggy" as a teenager in Brooklyn. Tom and Peggy were a couple through high school and college, marrying in 1974. They settled in Summit, NJ, where they raised their two daughters and made friendships that they maintained throughout their lives.

Tom and Peggy retired to Williamsburg, VA where they spent their retirement years traveling, playing golf and enjoying their many family and friends.

Tom graduated from Xaverian High School in Brooklyn in 1970. He earned a B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.S. from Columbia University.

Tom joined the engineering firm Vollmer Associates upon graduation from RPI, where he rose to partner and enjoyed a 40-year career in civil and structural engineering. Tom led projects that included New York subway stations, Grand Central Station, the new Yankee Stadium and various infrastructure initiatives throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Although Tom was energized by, and successful in, his engineering career, his focus and legacy is his family. Tom and Peggy spent over fifty wonderful years listening to music, traveling the world, and watching their daughters grow up into successful adults with families of their own. In retirement, Tom spent all the time he could with his four grandchildren, Quinn (Collins), and Cullen, Cavan and Carlin (Goldenberg) and was excited at the prospect of a fifth grandchild on the way. Tom will be remembered as an always-hospitable and generous man, happily mixing cocktails for friends and preparing the Christmas beef to perfection, to the delight of his family.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Michael Higgins. He is survived by Peggy, his wife of fifty-two years; his daughters, Christine Collins (Rick) and Laura Goldenberg (Ryan); his grandchildren, and his sister Jean Lynch and her family.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date.

If you wish, please honor Tom’s memory by making a charitable donation to VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (https://www.masseycancercenter.org/).