Thomas James Lett

Thomas James Lett, age 92, died peacefully at his home in Rio Rancho, NM on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 joining his beloved wife, Louise and daughter DeEtta in eternal rest. Tom was born Sunday, October 11, 1926 to Thomas J. Lett Sr. and Gladys (Chase) Lett in Sommerville, MA. Tom was married for almost 60 years to his beautiful wife, Louise C. Finnegan. He is survived by his sister, Dorothy (Lett) Liguori and brother, Arnold F. Lett (Terry); six children, Thomas V.J. Lett (Debra), Karen E. (Lett) Gooding, Sheila L. Lett, Daniel R. Lett (Pamela), William Christopher Lett, and Timothy M. Lett, 19 grandchildren; Josephine, Madleine, Catherine, Thomas, Michael V., Patrick, Victoria R., Emily, Jonathan, Benjamin, Michael J., Shawn, Hannah, Sarah, Dana, Victoria C., Nicole, Brandon, Jacqualyne and eight great-grandchildren; Connor, Jett, Alexandra, Athena, Brooklyn, Zoey, Jenna, and Korben. Tom was a member of the Sigma Epsilon Phi fraternity and graduated with honors from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, passing engineering and business management exams to become a certified Professional Engineer and later a licensed Safety & Fire Protection Engineer. His safety and fire protection career, as a senior civilian staff officer with the USAF, led him to establish several fire safety codes and practices still used today among many of the air force bases, airfields, numerous aerospace research, test and production plants for aircraft, missiles, explosives, propellants, and engines. His career took him across the nation before bringing him and his family to Kirtland AFB and New Mexico. He was a Volunteer Firefighter and EMT in ranks from recruit to chief for station houses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, and New Mexico and responded to many fires, crashes, floods, and hurricanes within his long career. He was a lifetime member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). He served as a USAF representative on several aviation safety committees and was awarded Emeritus status by the NFPA helping to edit the aviation chapters of the NFPA Fire Protection and Engineering Handbook. Tom was quite proud of the many servicemen, firefighters, paramedics, and fire chiefs he trained and worked with over the years. His generosity touched many and his strong Irish spirit was always ever present. He was a caring, devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. He will be dearly missed by all those privileged to have known him. In Remembrance and Celebration, a Rosary will be recited Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at 9:45 a.m. with a Mass to follow at 10:30 a.m., St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church on 5712 Paradise Blvd. NW.