Dr. Thomas C. Chadwick

Dr. Thomas C. Chadwick

Thomas Carl Chadwick, 80, of Nipomo, California, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2025 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Tom is survived by his wife of 33 years, Frances (Fran); his five children Mark Chadwick (Kristin); Jennifer Thompson (Darrell); David Chadwick (Laura); Alison Elder (Stephen); and Suzanne York; his sister, Teresa Gentry; his brother Richard Chadwick (Maggy); 10 grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews. 

Tom was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, on June 24, 1945 to the late Hermance and John Chadwick. He spent the first few years of his childhood in Covina and Berkley while his father completed his studies in foreign languages, followed by their relocation to Coalinga in 1954 where he spent the rest of his childhood. Tom graduated from Coalinga High School in 1962.

Tom completed his first two years of college at West Hills College in Coalinga where his dad John was his Spanish professor. During those two summers he worked as a surveyor for the California State Water Project canal construction.

Following junior college, Tom attended University of California Los Angeles and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1966. Following his graduation, he moved to Corvallis, Oregon and attended Oregon State University where he received a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1972.

In 1971, Tom moved to Santa Maria with his first wife, Kristine (Eubank), where they raised their four children. He worked for Union Sugar in Betteravia as a process chemist at the sugar processing plant. From 1987 until his retirement in 2013, Tom worked as a materials chemist for Den Mat Corporation in Santa Maria developing ceramics for dental restorations. Tom and Fran moved to Nipomo in 1991 where he lived until his passing. From Nipomo he biked to work most days, a 26-mile round trip, and had close proximity to his favorite hiking trails. 

Tom loved the outdoors, hiking, camping, history, and visiting his family. He loved road trips and exploring the United States, especially the western states. His favorite jaunts included the Los Padres National Forest, the Carrizo Plain, the Sierras, and Death Valley. Tom also loved to ride motorcycles and Tom and Fran spent part of their honeymoon on a motorcycle trip - until it broke down and had to be hauled in a U-Haul. What an adventure!

Unbeknownst to many, Tom was a self-taught geologist and spent much of his free time rock hunting and hiking. He was fascinated by maps of all kinds and created many maps for areas that he and Fran visited on their trips and hikes. He enjoyed tracking down survey benchmarks everywhere he went. Tom was an advocate for native plants in landscaping and volunteered at the Nipomo Native Garden. 

Tom was also an avid reader and read all genres of non-fiction and fiction books. He enjoyed learning about all history - local, California, United States, and the world - and especially enjoyed visiting historical sites. Tom loved reading books to Fran as she navigated their many long journeys together. 

Fluent in Spanish, he taught English to Spanish speakers after retiring, perhaps following in his father’s footsteps, and enjoyed sharing his nearly endless knowledge of nature and history with his beloved children and grandchildren. 

Tom and Fran are long-time members of the St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Parish in Nipomo. 

Fran invites all friends and family to attend the services to celebrate Tom’s life, including a viewing on Wednesday November 5 from 4:00-8:00pm with a rosary at 6:00pm at Marshall Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel, 1239 Longbranch Ave., Grover Beach; the funeral mass on Thursday November 6 at 10:00am with a reception immediately following at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 298 S Thompson Ave., Nipomo; and the burial on Thursday November 6 at 2:00pm at Arroyo Grande Cemetery, 895 El Camino Real, Arroyo Grande. The funeral mass will be streamed on YouTube under @StJosephsParishNipomo (also accessible under https://stjonipomo.org/, YouTube).

In lieu of flowers, Tom’s family would greatly appreciate donations in his honor to Los Padres ForestWatch, the Parkinson’s Foundation, or your favorite ecological or Parkinson’s charity.

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