Thomas T. Haver

Thomas T. Haver III was born in Cleveland, Ohio on February 26, 1918. He passed away on the same day, 2013, at the age of 95. As a kid Tom loved to invent, and scrounged the city dump for parts to make radios. Always active, he was a skilled speed skater and swimmer. Tom would hitch rides on cars with his sled, and in college he fashioned homemade bombs that he put on the trolley tracks in W. Lafayette, IN. Tom graduated from Purdue University in 1941 with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. He married the love of his life, Betty J. Haver, in 1941. Tom worked for 28 years at Naval Avionics Facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was a systems analyst. He was an active member of the BSAC, a diving club, and taught SCUBA classes at the Y. He was particularly interested in ship wreck diving, and brought up many artifacts from his adventures. Tom could fix anything and was a skilled furniture maker, and a talented photographer. He and Betty loved the outdoors and camped and hiked throughout the United States, and they enjoyed many international trips after his retirement. Growing up working on the Great Lakes as a teenager, Tom loved boats and swimming, and he and Betty were active members of a canoe club. Tom and Betty moved to Vista, CA in 1976 to be near their two grandsons. Tom resumed swimming to stay healthy, and became active in USMS. Tom was an accomplished Masters swimmer; he was one of the world’s top ten backstrokers in his age group and at times has been the number one swimmer in his event in the United States. Tom embraced the philosophy of “Use it or lose it,” and was able to maintain his vigorous lifestyle, including 1.5 mile swims three times a week through 2011, as well as enjoying his daily gin and tonic and ice cream.

Tom is survived by his wife Betty, children Judy Walter and John Walter of Rancho Bernardo, CA, Nancy Haver and Jennifer Goodheart of Amherst, MA, grandson Mark Walter of Oceanside, CA, and great-granddaughter Bailey Walter and her mother Jeanne Walter of Brandon, MS. He was predeceased by his grandson Mike Walter in 2012. A private family service will be held at a later date.