Obituary of Thomas Herbert Barton

May 28, 1926 – Sheffield, England

October 1, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta

Thomas Barton, beloved husband of Patricia Barton (nee Stokes), of Calgary, AB, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at the age of 98 years.

Thomas was born in Sheffield, England on May 28, 1926, to Herbert Ambrose Barton and Annie Barton, nee Jackson.

He attended Lowfields School until the age of eleven, and then Nether Edge Grammar School until 1944 when he transferred to the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Sheffield. He attended university during wartime and immediate post-war periods when courses were sped up. He was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Engineering in June 1947, the degree of Ph.D. in March 1950, and the degree of D.Eng. in April 1968.

He married Patricia Leonora Stokes in Sheffield, England on March 24, 1951.

From 1949 to 1951 he was employed by the English Electric Co., Stafford, England. For the first year, he worked in various departments of the plant and for the second year he assisted in the development of high-power excitron switches for magnetron power supplies. In 1951, he joined the staff of the University of Sheffield as a lecturer in Electrical Engineering, where he remained for six years until being appointed to the staff of McGill University as an assistant professor in 1957. He became an associate professor in 1960, then professor in 1965. In 1972, he was made Associate Dean Academic with responsibility for coordinating and developing the undergraduate programs in the faculty.

In 1975, Thomas was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he served two five-year terms. He was secretary of the National Committee of Deans of Engineering and Applied Science for 1977-78 and its chairman for 1978-79. In addition to his duties as Dean, Dr. Barton was Acting Director of the University Academic Computer Centre from October 1979 to December 1980. He was elected to the Board of Governors of the University of Calgary in 1982 for a three-year term. In 1988 he was awarded a Killam Resident Fellowship by the University of Calgary to write a text on power electronics. In June 1991 he retired from active duty with the University of Calgary with the title of Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering.

From the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, he received the Nikola Tesla Award in 1992 for outstanding contributions in the field of generation and utilization of electric power.

A Celebration of Thomas’ Life will be held at The Inn on Officers’ Garden (150 Dieppe Drive SW, Calgary, AB) on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. All who knew Thomas are invited to join us to remember him and perhaps share a few memories.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Thomas’ family here.

In living memory of Thomas Barton, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.