Thomas D. Sege
May 17, 1926-March 3, 2015
Woodside, California

Thomas ("Tom") D. Sege passed away peacefully at his home in Woodside, California, surrounded by his loving family and caretaker on March 3, 2015, at the age of 88, due to complications from Alzheimer's.

Born on May 17, 1926, in Novi Sad, former Yugoslavia (now Serbia), he lived the majority of his life in Los Altos Hills and Woodside, CA.

Tom, his parents Aladar and Shari and brother George fled Yugoslavia via Cuba to the U.S. during the Second World War when he was 12 years old, and he spent the remainder of his youth in New York City.

He graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's and a master's degree in engineering, married Alice Sege and started work at Sperry Gyroscope on Long Island.

In 1963, Tom and Alice moved to Los Altos Hills, where Tom became general manager of Eitel-McCollough, or EIMAC, a pioneer in vacuum tube manufacture in Silicon Valley.

EIMAC later merged with Varian Associates, where Tom rose through the ranks to become CEO between 1981 and 1990. Under Tom?s leadership, Varian grew to more than $1B in revenues per year

During his career, Tom pioneered in many areas of radio transmitting tube technology, including the high-powered klystron tube used in radar and television and radio transmission.

Tom and Alice divorced in 1976 after a long marriage. They raised two children, Kathleen and Ronald. Tom married Dorothea in 1982 and eventually moved to Woodside, where he lived for more than 25 years.

Tom was kind, loving, generous and devoted to family and friends. He was a father figure to many in his life.

He was an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction, a passionate gardener, a lover of travel and an experience-seeker. He was a punster, a poet, a jokester and a philosopher.

He loved to play chess, bridge and Scrabble. Tom spoke multiple languages including Hungarian, German, French and English.

He was devoted to his children and his grandchildren and is survived by daughter Kathleen McNamara and son Ronald Sege, daughter-in-law Gina Sege, grandchildren Scott McNamara and Christopher, Jonathan, Georgia and Alexi Sege.

Tom battled advancing Alzheimer?s for the last 12+ years of his life, but never lost his indomitable spirit and good humor. He received meticulous and loving care for those 12 years from his long-time live-in caretaker Margaret ("Kalo") Naufahu and her family throughout this difficult period.

Tom will be dearly missed by all. Donations may be made in Tom?s name to the Alzheimer?s Association. http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_donate.asp

A tribute to the life of Thomas D. Sege will be offered Sunday, March 8, 2015, from noon to 1:30 pm at Crippen & Flynn Woodside Chapel in Redwood City, with private interment to follow.

Tags: business