Vice President for Facilities Management Thomas F. Devine

Mr. Devine joined the Boston College community in 1994 as director of Buildings and Grounds. He was appointed associate vice president in July of 2000 as part of a University reorganization plan. In 2002, he was named Boston College's first vice president for facilities management, responsible for overseeing the planning design and construction of capital projects, as well as the overall maintenance of campus facilities and grounds.

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, said, "Tom was an individual who had a rare combination of talents to move projects along smoothly from inception to completion and to enlist the support of his staff, other administrators and trustees. He cared deeply about Boston College and was so committed to our mission as a Jesuit Catholic institution.

"During this past year," Fr. Leahy said, "Tom was impressive and inspirational in dealing with his illness and sharing his faith."

"Tom Devine was an enormously talented person in all phases of campus operations, including the beautification of the campus," said Vice President for Human Resources Leo V. Sullivan.

"He was also a very key player in the strategic plan for Boston College's campus of the future, and he played a very important role with our Board of Trustees, the President and the Executive Vice President in shaping the future of Boston College into the 21st century.

"On a personal basis, Tom was a large-hearted individual who exhibited care and concern for all of the people in Facilities Management," Sullivan added. "He demonstrated that care in many tangible ways."

Mr. Devine supported a number of charitable endeavors at Boston College, including the Ghana service trip organized each year by Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah, manager of instructional services for the University Libraries. "You may have seen the smiling and happy faces of children in Ghana wearing Boston College tee shirts on BC Webmail," Sarkodie-Mensah noted in an e-mail message. "The kindness behind those tee shirts and the happy faces emanates from Mr. Thomas Devine and his caring staff.

"Each year since we have been going to Ghana, Mr. Devine and his department have funds for the purchase of the BC shirts that the children so proudly wore," Sarkodie-Mensah said.

Mr. Devine was born in Cranston, RI, and lived in North Scituate for the past 33 years. A graduate of Rhode Island College, he had previously been the director of Facilities and Operations at the University of Rhode Island before coming to Boston College. Mr. Devine has also worked at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corp. at Quonset Point, RI.

He is survived by his wife Carol and two sons, Jeffrey of Boston and Eric of North Scituate, RI; two sisters and a brother.