He was born in Hong Kong on June 14, 1948. He moved to the USA after graduating high school. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. He obtained his Master's degree in Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley, where he met his wife Jean. He briefly worked in Canada for 2 years before moving back to California permanently. He ultimately settled down in Saratoga in 1985 with his family, living in the same house for the rest of his life.

He worked in Silicon Valley as an electrical engineer, gaining a reputation as a leader in the semiconductor industry. He was passionate about his work, which he continued even into his 70s.

He enjoyed traveling with his family, attending sporting events, and spending time with friends. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.

Thomas is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Jean, son Lawrence, daughter-in-law Sharon, and granddaughter Lauren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Stanford University's Health Care Partners Fund at https://give.stanford.edu/med/healthcarepartners in Thomas' name.