Thomas P. Dyer III

Thomas P. Dyer III passed away on April 1, 2015 after a six-month battle with bladder cancer. He was 73 years old.

Tom was a native Californian, born in San Diego on Dec. 18, 1941. His parents, Roxanna and Thomas, were divorced when Tom was six. He and his mother moved to the San Fernando Valley where Tom graduated from San Fernando High School in 1959. He went to school with Richie Valens and was fond of telling stories of how he knew the infamous “Donna.”

After graduating he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served as an electronics technician at Misawa AFB in Japan. He learned to speak Japanese fluently and developed an appreciation for the Asian culture and people, except sushi, which he was never able to embrace. He was honorably discharged in 1965.

Tom would spend the next 40 years in the solar industry developing and commercializing solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems.

In 1977 he joined Arco Solar holding management and executive level positions in solar applications engineering, manufacturing and business development. He served as VP of international sales and marketing as Arco Solar became the largest PV company in the late 1980s.

He also met his wife, Beth, at Arco. They were married in 1990. In 1996 solar energy brought Tom to Fountain Hills when he accepted a position with Photocomm (subsequently Golden Genesis).

Kyocera acquired Golden Genesis in 1999 and Tom found himself again working for a Japanese company. He served as senior VP of sales and marketing transitioning to VP of government relations prior to retiring in 2012. He continued to consult for Kyocera until May of 2014.

Tom was very proud of his accomplishments in the solar field and enjoyed his role as a “pioneer” in the industry.

Tom and Beth have one daughter, Tara, who was the light of Tom’s life. He considered her his “miracle” child and enjoyed supporting her in everything she did. When Tara’s boyfriend Michael asked Tom for his blessings to marry her, he responded with a big “yes.” He loved Michael and knew he would be a wonderful husband to Tara. Tara and Michael married in New York City on March 28, and although Tom was not able to be there physically, he was able to participate via the technology of FaceTime in all the events.

Tom was dedicated to his family, he had a passion for solar, a passion for food and travel. He was able to do all the things in life he wanted to do. His career took him to 38 countries around the globe. He loved a good Irish coffee from the Buena Vista in San Francisco and was always up for a sunset sail, especially in Lahaina, Maui where he and Beth were married.

When asked recently if he had a “bucket list” he replied, “No, I’ve done all the things I wanted to do.”

In addition to his wife, Beth; daughter and son-in-law, Tara and Michael Mattiello; Tom is survived by a sister, Val Ellerbrock (Jim), and brother, Vic Cipparrone (Polly), both from California. His in-laws, Tom and Angela Swetnam of Fountain Hills, will also miss him. Extended family, his solar community and friends from The Fountains UMC will also miss him greatly.

Visitation is at the family home Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call the family or The Fountains UMC for details.