Thomas Mayer CBE BSc(Eng) FREng CEng FIET, 1928-2021
Published: Wed 26 May 2021
Thomas Mayer escaped Nazi Germany to become CEO of several international engineering companies.
By the time Tom retired at the age of 69 he had been awarded a CBE for his services to industry, a far cry from his youth where he was forced to escape to London, at the age of 10, speaking no English.
Tom was born in Halle, East Germany on 17 December 1928. He graduated from Regent Street Polytechnic with a BSc in Engineering, aged 20. He joined Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, and in 1967 he played a leading part in establishing the International Broadcasting Convention and became the Managing Director of Marconi Communications Systems in 1968. He later became Chief Executive of Thorn EMI Technology.
Tom and his first wife Jeanette had two children, Helen and Peter. In 1975 he met the love of his life, Jean Patricia Burrows, and they married shortly after. For the rest of their lives the couple didn’t leave each other’s side, travelling the world together but ultimately settling in a country village in Buckinghamshire.
Tom remained a committed fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Institution of Electrical Engineers and The Royal Television Society. He was an avid supporter of ballet, opera and Tottenham Hotspur.
Tom passed away aged 92 on 16 February 2021 at his home in Princes Risborough. He is survived by his two children.