The California Waterkeepers family is deeply saddened to learn of the unexpected and untimely passing of one of our own, Tom Lyons. Tom was a bright, funny, and talented advocate and friend to so many in our movement.
Tom was a beloved member of the California Coastkeeper Alliance team from 2007 to 2011. During Tom’s tenure with us, he traveled throughout California to visit Waterkeepers and hold community workshops on how to report pollution. His presence was always welcomed, as he radiated warmth and genuine care for the people and places we work to protect.
I traveled with Tom up to the Klamath River on one occasion and remember how he walked into the community hall after an eight-hour drive, broke the ice with workshop attendees as he set up the projector and presentation, and then delivered a flawless training on reporting pollution. He was likable and dynamic and seemed equally at home on a boat or out in the field as he was in a Sacramento hearing room.
After graduating from Brown University with a degree in Environmental Studies, Tom moved out West to work for our organization, first as Program Coordinator and then as a Policy and GIS Analyst. During that time, he supported the clean water and healthy oceans work of Waterkeepers throughout California. Among his many lasting contributions to the network were his development of new maps to track pollution in California’s waterways and his advocacy for the development of California’s Marine Protected Area network.
Following his time at CCKA, Tom continued to fight for clean water by taking graduate coursework in International Environmental Policy and working at the Environmental Integrity Project, where he studied nutrient pollution from industrial discharges into the Chesapeake Bay. Tom also spent time working in Vermont at Hugg-A-Planet, a company developing educational toy globes for children.
In addition to his professional talents, Tom was a gifted pianist, fluent in French, an expert skier, dog lover, and carpenter.
Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed by so many, in California and across the country.
Tom’s family is kindly organizing donations in his memory to California Coastkeeper Alliance. If you would like to donate, please click here and leave a note that you are giving in memoriam of Tom.
Thank you to all of those who have already donated for your generosity in this difficult time (as of Feb. 19, 2018).
Lola Dvorak | Phoebe Brueckner |
Robin Stockton | Christopher Keeler |
Audrey Mosley | Sarah Foos |
David Kranich | Theodore Matlow |
Jeffrey Lyons | Suzanne Chamberlain |
Judy Adler | Brian Henesey |
Adam Frisoli | Diane Pellagrini |
Virginia DeFede-Cove | Jonathan Jamieson |
Peter Holmes | Kristy Gentes |
Rachel Welensky | Wendi Stern |
James Shulman | Turner Zamore |
Margaret Stewart | Brett Robertson |
Donna Repko | Arrin Barmak |
Thomas Cunningham | Joel Schwelling |
Ari Savitsky | Jody Marks |
Lori Arner | LaToya Archibald |
Lynn Warner | Vanessa Sabbagh |
Kirsten Bourne | Bruce Abels |
Carolyn Fox | Amy Mace |
Mary Nowlan | Emily Horne |
Jeff Barovich | Anna Urban |
Greg Larson | Sarah Cove |
Alicia Kurth | Marcia Leikin |
Brian Chevalier | George Colony |
Elizabeth Warner | Kathleen Becker |
James Wilson | Jonah Mull |
Alan Starr | Laurence Kranich |
Helen Lambert | Susan Brauer |
Jill Matlow | Micah Salkind |
Ruth Baron | Bryan Stevens |
Renee Epstein | Elizabeth Voos |
Thomas Dean | John Lynch |
Joel Goldberg | Joanne Lyons |
Robert Kosmidek | Erica Sade |
Megan McCutcheon | Kaitlyn Lindsay |
Jonah Mossberg | Barbara Darrow |
Stephanie Levin | Peter Du Moulin |
Catherine Manzo | Laura Caffry |
Mary Flemming | Mary Moisan |
Susan Hoyt | Steven Wells |
Karen Warner | Celine Bergeron |
Stephanie Cooper | Alice Stockton |
Gina Knollenberg |
Executive Director Sara Aminzadeh leads CCKA’s initiatives to protect and defend California’s ocean, bays and rivers.