Dr. Thomas K. Ishii, aged 94, was called to eternal life on December 27, 2021, after a lengthy and quietly courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Ishii embraced the Catholic faith when he was in college and took the name Thomas as an homage to St. Thomas Aquinas. Like St. Thomas Aquinas, Dr. Ishii did not see science and religion as mutually exclusive and believed both faith and scientific pursuit were based upon reasoned thought. Dr. Ishii loved research and believed that scientific research glorified God, because what could be more beautiful than seeking to understand the marvelous universe that God created for us, and sharing that knowledge?
In order to seek out and share knowledge, Dr. Ishii took on membership in numerous professional organizations including the Electromagnetics Academy, the International Microwave Power Institute, the International Symposium on Recent Advances in Microwave Technology, the American Association of University Professors, the American Society of Engineering Education, National Society of Professional Engineers, the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers, Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Alpha Sigma Nu.
Dr. Ishii was also a Life Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), which awarded him the T.C. Burnum IEEE Milwaukee Section Memorial Award in 1969, the IEEE Centennial Award for microwave engineering in 1984, and the IEEE Millennium Medal Award in 2000. Dr. Ishii established the IEEE Milwaukee section for Microwave Theory and Technique Society. He also served as an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems from 1989 to 1991.
Dr. Ishii served as a consultant for companies including Wisconsin Electric Power, Mega Power Corporation, Honeywell, Northland Aluminum Products, Eaton Corporation, and Johnson Controls. He also provided consultation services to various law firms, and he held two patents in the U.S. and three in Japan for microwave devices.
Dr. Ishii also shared what he learned by publishing numerous papers, and by authoring or editing several textbooks, including “Microwave Engineering,” “Practical Microwave Electron Devices”, “Maser and Laser Engineering”, “The Handbook of Microwave Technology - Components and Devices”, “Physics with High Energy Colliders”, and “Microwave Power in Industry”.
While Dr. Ishii sought out and shared knowledge by publishing works and making connections through professional organizations, he spent 48 years teaching and mentoring students so that they too could glorify God in their scientific pursuits. He has, without doubt, touched many lives. Even long after his retirement, Dr. Ishii’s students kept in touch and consulted with him.
From 1950 to 1956, Dr. Ishii taught electrical engineering at Nihon University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Doctor of Engineering. After earning his master’s degree and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Ishii began his career at Marquette University. He taught from 1959 to 1998. During that time, Dr. Ishii received the Lawrence G Haggarty Award for Teaching Excellence from Marquette in 1989, the WSPE Outstanding Professional Engineers in Education Award in 1991, the Milwaukee North Chapter Award of the Engineer of the Year in Education 1991, and an Honorary Doctor of Science from Marquette University in 1999. Marquette University granted Dr. Ishii the status of Professor Emeritus upon his retirement.
Dr. Ishii’s contributions to engineering were also recognized when he received the ESM Engineer of the Year Award for distinguished service in 1988, the Sigma XI Distinguished Scientific Research Achievement Award 1991, and the Named Engineer of the Year Award from the Engineers and Scientists of Milwaukee 2003.
After retiring, Dr. Ishii continued to attend and participate in the Microwave Seminar until his Parkinson’s Disease made it impossible for him to attend, even with the kind help of his former graduate students and friends.
While Dr. Ishii was, in his quiet way, proud of his work as an engineer and teacher, his greatest love was his family. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Eiko Bernadette Ishii, his daughters, Naomi Bernadette Ishii (Dean Monma), Megumi Margaret Wiersma (Gary Wiersma), and Mayumi Mary Ishii (Robert Roos), and his many grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, and brothers, and by his only son, Mutsumi Michael Ishii (Lisa Ishii).
A funeral service will be held at the Church of the Gesu on April 30, 2022. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate gifts to the Dr. Thomas K. Ishii Scholarship Fund at Marquette University. Donations may be made at https://timetorise.marquette.edu/give?appeal=ADF, select “Other Fund Designation”, then type in “Dr. Thomas K. Ishii Scholarship”.
