Thomas Wharton Rees, age 80, passed away at Cathedral Village on December 19, 2020.

Thomas was born in 1940 in Philadelphia, PA to George Wharton Rees and Dorothy Johnson Rees. Thomas was the beloved husband of Louise for 53 years.

He attended Lehigh University and earned a degree in metallurgical engineering. While there he excelled in fencing and became a collegiate champion in foil. At that time the call went out for the first class of the Peace Corps. He was accepted and was to be assigned to work in Afghanistan. However, he opted to begin his career instead. In his early career Thomas worked for General Electric Aerospace Division in Valley Forge, and was part of the NASA investigation after the fire on the launchpad of the Apollo 1 spacecraft. During this time also, he met many of the former German Rocket team based in Huntsville, AL. He also worked on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory. Thomas became Head of Development at Superior Tube Company in Collegeville concentrating on stainless steel and titanium. During this time he frequently gave papers on the work that he was doing. For one of these he was awarded with his coauthor the Ablett Prize given by the Royal Society of Metals for the best paper read before the Society in 1983. Thomas had many interests and talents.

Starting in his teens, he was a talented mechanic beginning with motorcycles and continuing with a series of sports cars which he kept in trim himself. The last of these was an Elva, a British racing car, and he had the first road model in the United States. Thomas was a skilled woodworker, and made unique furniture and carved intricate jewelry.

Most of all, he was a musician. Starting at an early age, he played trombone and continued this in college and beyond, as a member of the Bucks County Symphony. However, it was as a singer that he excelled. With a fine bass baritone voice he sang with the Mendelssohn Club, and the Mastersingers. Thomas sang many years in the choir at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill and St. Thomas's Episcopal Church in Whitemarsh. It was as a member of the Gilbert and Sullivan Players that he expanded his singing, playing numerous roles. It was here that he met his wife, Louise.

Until he developed an increasing disability, he and Louise travelled extensively and enjoyed classical music concerts and opera performances. Over his lifetime he was a skier, tennis player and Scuba diver. Thomas retired in 2003, and volunteered for many years at Chestnut Hill Hospital.

Thomas was an unassuming gentleman of the old school and was always a giver in life. He had a quick wry humor.

In addition to his wife he is survived by a son, Harold Rees of Oak Park, Ill., his wife Emily Culbertson, and two grandchildren, Clarissa and Vaughan Rees. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, David Rees.

Services for Thomas will be held on September 25, 2021 at 11:30 am at St. Mark's Church, 1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Reception in the Parish Hall immediately following the service. Live stream available at: https://www.facebook.com/ saintmarkschurch or www.youtube.com/ saintmarkschurchphiladelphia. In lieu of flowers, donations in Thomas's name may be made to the Salvation Army.

Funeral arrangements entrusted to The Oliver H. Bair Co.  (215) 563-1580