Thomas F. Hennessy, Sr., 88, of Bristol, CT, passed away Thursday, June 25, 2015. He was the husband of the late Rita (Ryan) Hennessy. Tom was born in Bristol on March 11, 1927 and was a son of the late Isabelle (Jennings) Hennessy and John Hennessy. He cherished being born into an Irish Catholic family. He graduated from St. Joseph Catholic Grammar School in 1941 and remained a lifelong member of St. Joseph Church. He shared many grammar school memories including seeing the Hindenburg flying overhead during recess. He graduated from Bristol Technical High School in 1945 and then enlisted in the Navy during WWII. He was a radar operator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Tarawa where his lifelong interest in the lock industry began. He was issued a small brass padlock to use for his locker aboard ship and became so intrigued with this lock that this began his lifelong passion. When honorably discharged, he went to The Porter School of Tool & Machine Design in Hartford, CT, graduating in 1948 with a Method Engineering degree. In 1953, he married the former Rita Ryan and had five children. In 1955 he started Hennessy’s Locksmith’s Shop located on North Main St., Bristol, and worked there part time for 25 years. This was more of a hobby than employment for Tom. His career spanned for over 50 years in the lock industry beginning in 1948 starting as a methods engineer at P & F Corbin in New Britain, moving on to Yale Lock, Eagle Lock, American Hardware, Emhart Corp. and Lori Corporation. Tom developed the construction master key system and standard key coding system which were universally adopted by the hardware industry. Tom used these systems to design the keying operations for the World Trade Center, Disney World, several universities to name a few and he holds 10 patents to his name. In 1972, Tom co-founded the Lock Museum of America located in Terryville, CT which houses his own collection and preservation of the lock industry having many other historical lock collections on display as well. Tom enjoyed serving as curator and president for many years. Tom was elected to the Lock Collectors Hall of Fame in 1989, receiving the prestigious Philadelphia Award for locksmiths. Besides engineer and historian, Tom was known as an author writing books titled Early Locks and Lockmakers of America and Albert F. Rockwell 1862-1825 a New Departure. After retirement, Tom also enjoyed many summers at Hawk’s Nest Beach in Old Lyme. He leaves his children, Thomas F. Hennessy, Jr., Patricia Theriault and Michael Drouin, Eileen and Bernard Whitneck, Michael and Marybeth Hennessy and Rita M. Hennessy and Sean Palmer. Grandchildren, Katie and Ryan Hennessy, Jonathan Theriault, Maureen Theriault and Justin Fraychak, Lindsey and Jay Rivers and three great grandchildren, Adam Rivers, Brooke and Parker Fraychak. Sisters, Agnes Hennessy and Mary Casey and many brothers and sisters-in-law and nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his wife Rita (Ryan) Hennessy, sister Isabelle Johnson, brothers John Hennessy, James Hennessy and granddaughter, Ashley Whitneck. Our family would like to express our sincere gratitude to Sheriden Woods Health Care Center and Bristol Hospital Hospice for the wonderful care that they provided. Tom’s funeral will be held Monday, June 29, 2015 at 11:30 am from DuPont Funeral Home, 25 Bellevue Ave., Bristol, followed by a mass at 12 noon in St. Joseph Church, 33 Queen St., Bristol. Burial with military honors will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. Calling hours will be held Sunday from 4-6pm at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Lock Museum of America, P.O. Box 104, Terryville, CT 06786.