May 1, 1941-December 8, 2008
Tom was an extraordinary man; father of six, Papa to ten, husband, friend, professor and a historic preservation architect. He loved young children, old buildings, his Portugese water dog, Bleu, and his sloop, Northern Spy.
He was born in Mount Vernon, New York, raised his family in Scranton Pennsylvania and lived in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from 1992 until his death in 2008. He graduated from Pratt Institute’s School of architecture and served in the United States Army Corp of engineers. He taught architecture at Penn State University and at Harrisburg Area Community College. He served on the State Board of Historic Preservation and worked for the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission and later opened an architectural firm, Architecture YTT (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow).
He was active in several community organizations including Historic Harrisburg, Art Association of Harrisburg, Historic Fort Hunter’s Board of Directors and the Foundation for Enhancing Communities’ steering committee for the development of a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Community Center.
He was the first African American architect in Northeastern Pennsylvania and his greatest accomplishments were his children and the countless young people he encouraged and inspired – he will be remembered as a kind and generous man.
– Sharon Mahar Potter, wife