Tom McCready

Thomas Cecil McCready, age 49, formerly of Brookville, Ohio, New Hudson, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, April 1, 2022. He is survived by his mother, Norma J. McCready; sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Jimmy Wolf; dear nephew, Matthew Wolf; and dear niece, Jenny Wolf, all of Vandalia, Ohio. In addition to his immediate family, Tom is survived by aunts, uncles, and cousins from the McCready and Burkett families as well as numerous close friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Cecil Lee McCready.

After graduating from Brookville High School in 1990, Tom earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Automotive Mechanical Engineering from GMI Engineering & Management Institute. Immediately thereafter, he launched his automotive engineer career, spending more than 20 years specializing in the design, development, and validation of automotive braking systems. His tours of duty included working with teams in Brighton, Michigan, Dayton, Ohio, and the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan, but he cherished above all leading the talented team at Delphi that developed the first mass-produced anti-lock braking system for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Tom later rounded out his education with an MBA from the University of Michigan. This led him to Milwaukee where he spent more than 10 years working directly for Harley-Davidson. Able to fuse his engineering acumen with his business savvy, Tom became the driving force in the creation of Harley-Davidson’s analytics organization, but his true two-wheel passion was only fulfilled as he was navigating his way across the continental United States, Canada, and the far reaches of Alaska with his adventure-loving friends by motorcycle.

To give back to the industry that served him so well, Tom spent nearly 20 years teaching in the field of vehicle dynamics for the Society of Automotive Engineers. While he was instrumental in the development and execution of SAE’s most highly awarded professional development seminar, receiving international accolades for these contributions, he was truly in his element once he assumed his position in the driver’s seat for the friendly autocross event that followed the daily classroom learnings.

Continuing, Tom thrived on the competition, challenges, and camaraderie he found through motorsports. His 25-year pursuit of checkered flags took him to racetracks around the world, participating with equal enthusiasm and success in the roles of crew chief and driver. It didn’t matter if he was tightening the lug nuts of a $500 Saturn in Texas or driving a BMW to its limit at the world-famous Nürburgring in Germany, Tom was energized by being at the track with his teammates.

Finally, while Tom will be remembered as an accomplished engineer, leader, creator, teacher, and competitor, he will be best remembered by his infectious smile, his quick wit, and how he cared so sincerely for those around him. His love of family was beyond measure, and his dedication to his friends was without parallel. But above all, his affection for his nephew and niece reigned supreme, never once missing the opportunity to assist with a scholarship application, road trip to an air show, attend a Broadway musical, share a favorite book or movie, or simply color Easter eggs around the kitchen table.

Visitation will be held on Friday, April 8 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Gilbert-Fellers Funeral Home, located at 950 Albert Road in Brookville. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 9 at 12:00 noon, also at Gilbert-Fellers Funeral Home. Interment will follow immediately thereafter at Pyrmont Cemetery in Brookville. In lieu of flowers, Tom’s family and friends respectfully suggest donations in his memory to either the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org) or the National Motorcycle Safety Fund (nmsfund.org).