Thomas Michael Burt

Thomas Michael Burt, age 71, passed away at his home in Downers Grove, Illinois on October 22, 2022 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Thomas was born on March 25, 1951, to Fred and Mary Ann Burt, in Challis, ID. He grew up on the family farm in Moore and attended the Moore Public School and Butte County High School. Thomas participated in an intercollegiate debate at Idaho State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Economics degree, graduating with Honors in 1973. He later obtained his MBA from DePaul University in Chicago and his JD from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (both with Honors).

Much like his mother Mary Ann, Thomas always had a natural ability to keep and maintain detailed, precise records. As she managed the bookkeeping and recording for the family farm, Thomas had his sights set on creating a life for himself outside of the Lost River Valley. After graduating from ISU, in 1974 Thomas and his brother Drew packed up and drove to Illinois, where Thomas worked for Argonne National Laboratory, in Argonne, IL.

Aside from the brief period of 1983 to 1989, when Thomas worked for Montgomery Ward & Company, his career was spent working with Argonne. Thomas was extremely skilled in the world of Governmental and Corporate Finance and Operations, where his passion for financial planning, budgeting, and analysis allowed him the ability to facilitate, support, and drive numerous large-scale projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Much of his career at Argonne was spent within the Center for Nanoscale Materials.

During this time, his capstone was the financial leadership and support he provided for the Advanced Photon Source upgrade project. Thomas was the recipient of numerous distinctions during his career at Argonne, including the 3 Pacesetter Awards for extraordinary effort. Most notably, in 2012 he earned the University of Chicago – Argonne, LLC Board of Governors for Argonne Outstanding Service Award. This was awarded to Thomas in recognition of his exemplary career and the importance of work at the Laboratory. This award was presented to Thomas with members of his family Fred (Father), Marcia (Sister), Michael (Son), and Danielle (Daughter-in-law) in attendance.

During his tenure at Argonne, Thomas also spent nearly 20 years teaching his craft to Graduate students at the Keller Graduate School of Management in the Chicagoland area. In this role as an adjunct professor, Thomas enjoyed working with his students in the areas of Managerial Accounting and Finance.

Thomas was an avid reader and enjoyed historical writings. He also enjoyed traveling, having traveled to nearly all 50 states as well as destinations all across the world. His favorite view was atop the Empire State Building in New York City. During his retirement, Thomas was active as a docent for the Chicago Architectural Foundation. His level of knowledge and commitment to detail continued from his career into this passion, where he guided groups and visitors from around the world through the busy streets of Chicago. Thomas was well-regarded by those that knew him for his kindness, honesty, and willingness to lend an ear without judgment.

What brought Thomas the most joy was his grandchildren, Brady Drew and Ella Dean. Whether it be making them Saturday morning waffles, buying them ice cream, teaching them to read, playing games, or pushing them tirelessly on the swings, the smile they always brought him was special. His attention to detail persisted through as well, as he was sure to record the dollars given to Ella, for a snack during Brady’s baseball games.

Though Thomas was called home, his memory lives on. He is survived by his son Michael Drew, daughter-in-law Danielle, and his twin grandchildren Brady Drew and Ella Dean.

He was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Mary Ann Burt (2015 and 2004), brother Fred Drew Burt (1976), and sister Marcia Ann Burt (2022).

A graveside service will be held on Friday, November 4, 2022, at 1:00 pm at the Hillcrest Cemetery in Arco, and the family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service at the Anderson Family Funeral Home.