Thomas O'Rourke
Age - 84
November 28, 2023
Thomas Frank O'RourkeMay 6, 1939 - November 10, 2023"Tom" O'Rourke, 84, of Ashland, Oregon, passed away on November 10th, 2023, while at home surrounded by family. Tom was born in San Francisco, California to Edward Thomas O'Rourke and Catherine Francis O'Rourke (Leone) on May 6th, 1939. When Tom was 3 the family relocated to San Jose, California where Tom grew up. As a young man Tom attended St. Joseph's Seminary from 1952 to 1957 where he developed an appreciation for both spiritual and intellectual pursuits. Tom decided to extend that appreciation to a higher education in engineering, bringing the seminary chapter of his life to a close. Tom remained committed to his church serving as a lector and in various other roles with each parish throughout his life. Tom matriculated to Santa Clara University very well versed in the classics and liberal arts, but lacking in the mathematics and sciences his goal would require. Through his tenacity and focus he filled in those gaps in 3-1/2 years and earned his Electrical Engineering (EE) degree from SCU in 1961. During his time at SCU he began courting his sister Nancy's best friend Karen Brewer, and after settling in at IBM directly after graduation they married in August of 1961. It was a busy year!In the five years that followed Tom and Karen had three children while Tom earned a Master's in EE in 1965. He subsequently earned his Master's in Business in 1972 while he advanced into a management role at IBM. There he led technical teams in the US and Europe, including a team that helped develop the universal product code (UPC) that since 1974 is the barcode that has appeared on billions of products worldwide. In 1982 following a rewarding 21 years at IBM, an exciting opportunity arose to lead the data storage products division at Amdahl Corporation. There he spent the remainder of his career as the vice president of that division, making over 50 trips to Japan, developing an appreciation for Japanese culture and cuisine while building the business relationships and technologies Amdahl needed. He cherished those experiences well into his retirement. Beyond the European travel for IBM and the trips to Japan for Amdahl, Tom and Karen enjoyed traveling the globe visiting many countries over the years. With the kids they spent countless days escaping to cabins in the woods, camping in state and national parks, lounging on the beaches of Hawai'i, and driving the open road exploring the beautiful western United States. These travels were enormously joyful times for the entire family. Sometimes the road trips led through southern Oregon to visit Karen's sister Susie, and over the years Tom fell in love with the area. When it came time to retire from Silicon Valley in 1991 Tom and Karen relocated to a small farm outside Ashland. Karen's parents relocated to Ashland about the same time, and although Tom's children had lives of their own elsewhere on the west coast, by 1996 all three had relocated to Ashland as well. As spouses and grandchildren joined the family the chaos grew along with it. With love in his heart and a glint in his eyes, Tom's go-to greeting to many a guest at family get-togethers became "Welcome to the Zoo". A lifelong appreciation of the arts inspired Tom to actively support many music organizations in Southern Oregon, both as a patron and through his participation on the boards of the Rogue Valley Symphony and Chamber Music Concerts. He was passionate about these organizations and was committed to supporting their works. Tom is survived by his loving wife of 62 years Karen O'Rourke, son Tim (Teri) O'Rourke, son Daniel O'Rourke, and daughter Cindy Parks-Landis (Bill Landis), all of Ashland, Oregon. Also surviving him are his grandson Nick O'Rourke of Medford, Oregon, granddaughters Sarah and Rachel Parks of Portsmouth, Virginia, and brother Terry O'Rourke of Ann Arbor, Michigan. A Rosary Service will be held at 10:30am on December 15th, 2023, at Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church, 987 Hillview Dr. , Ashland Oregon. A Funeral Mass will follow at 11am with Father Brent Crowe presiding. A Remembrance Celebration will follow the mass. In lieu of flowers the family requests that any memorial donations you might consider be made to the educational, religious, or arts organization closest to your heart.Show more
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