Ceramic Industry columnist Thomas Joseph Maskell, 64, of Poland, Ohio, passed away January 4 at Hospice of the Valley, Hospice House. Tom earned a bachelor’s of science degree in ceramic engineering from Alfred University in 1967 and went on to earn a master’s of business administration degree from the University of Dayton in 1975.

During his years as a ceramic engineer and general manager, Tom also had time to develop multiple board games and patents. In addition to his “Business Briefs” column in CI, he spent some of his retirement years writing for other publications and serving as a business consultant for many small companies and manufacturers. In 2008, Tom fulfilled his lifelong goal of becoming a published author with the release of his book, The Complete Guide to Investing During Retirement.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that friends make memorial contributions to Hospice of the Valley, Hospice House, 9803 Sharrott Rd., Poland, OH 44514, in appreciation of the extreme kindness and care that the nurses and staff provided to Tom and his family during his final days. The family would also welcome condolences entered at www.beckerobits.com.

It was a pleasure to work with Tom. We will miss him and the no-nonsense approach to business management that he shared in his columns. In his own words, “I've had a good life and I could not have asked for anything more.”