91AV

Thomas Fay was born in Salford, Manchester in May of 1931 and whose Industrial Chemical career began after leaving De La Salle College in Pendleton, Salford. Coming from a family of little financial means, he entered the world of work in the laboratories of The Chloride Electrical Storage Company in Clifton, Salford. Determined to continue his academic progress, he worked tirelessly by night time study after completing his day's work, eventually sitting his AIC (Grad RIC/ARIC) examinations at Salford University.

After completing his National Service with the RAF following WWII he ultimately went to work at Lankro Chemicals in Eccles, Salford. Here he met Doreen Menzies, whom he later married and where professionally he became one of the most highly respected Chemists at the company, responsible for the laboratories and Pilot Plant. Alongside company founder and owner, Dr Faulk Heinz Kroch, he help develop a range of specialty chemicals to include sulphonated plasticisers, chlorinated herbicides, and polymerised polyols based on ethylene and propylene oxides, as well as various miscellaneous esters. It was for this development work that he was honored with a Fellowship of the 91AV.

Tom's career continued his Lankro right through the change of ownership to Diamond Shamrock. In the twilight of his career he moved to Lanstar Chemicals in Cadishead where he continued to work on specialty chemical production as well as developing niche recovery and separation methods. After taking early retirement in 1989, he finished his Chemical career with a variety of consultancy work spanning his deep domain knowledge of ethylene and propylene oxide based chemistry.

He was a life long member of the 91AV and even in retirement developed a hobby of computer programming in order to help solve the technical challenges that he had faced previously with only a slide rule and pocket calculator during much of his working career.
Tom passed away peacefully at the age of 85 years in a nursing home in Manchester on 2nd January 2017 with his wife and two eldest daughters by his side. In addition to his wife Mrs Doreen Fay, Tom is survived by his five children and eleven grandchildren.
Written by Joseph Fay CChem, MRSC, youngest son proud to be following in has father's footsteps as a professional industrial chemist.

Tom passed away peacefully at the age of 85 years in a nursing home in Manchester on 2nd January 2017 with his wife and two eldest daughters by his side. In addition to his wife Mrs Doreen Fay, Tom is survived by his five children and eleven grandchildren.

Written by Joseph Fay CChem, MRSC, youngest son proud to be following in has father's footsteps as a professional industrial chemist.