Tom Tellefson Tom Edward Tellefson grew up at Pte. Aux Pins on Mackinac Island and took special pleasure in recounting fond memories of his boyhood on the island throughout his life. His working years encompassed military service and a career in engineering, including work for the United States space program and the automotive industry. At one time, Mr. Tellefson ran Tellefson's Speedboats- Mackinac Island Transportation. He operated a Chris Craft and traveled from the St. Ignace Standard Oil Company dock and Mackinac Island O'Brien's dock.

Mr. Tellefson of Concord, California, passed away Thursday, April 10, 2008. He was 82 years old.

He was born January 30, 1926, in Detroit to U.S. Navy Commander Elmer Maurice "E.M." Tellefson, and Martha "Marty" Tellefson of Mackinac Island. He was preceded in death by his sister, Lynne Marie Tellefson.

Influenced by his father's military service, Mr. Tellefson joined the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He learned to fly Navy F4U Corsairs and was poised to serve in the south Pacific when the war ended.

Mr. Tellefson earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and moved to California, where he entered the engineering field. He became a model builder for Northrop Aircraft in Los Angeles in the early 1950s and worked on the company's "flying wing" concept.

Later, his interests drew him to the fields of plastics, composites, and graphite-epoxy technology. As a consulting engineer, Mr. Tellefson worked with the U.S. space program, where he developed devices critical to the expansion of the aerospace composites field, family members said. He was also involved in automotive tooling fabrication and firearms design, including consulting work during the early years of the ArmaLite firearms company.

Mr. Tellefson's love for all things marine was born and nurtured on Mackinac Island, and his most heartfelt happiness was for his Island friends and pride in his family's contributions to his Island home, family members said. Mr. Tellefson spoke often of social events at his family's home at Pte. Aux Pins and at Silver Birch. On the Island, his father held stone skipping championships and his mother and sister practiced pine needle basketry and crafts.

Mr. Tellefson is survived by his wife, Ruth Tellefson of Concord, California; and his daughter and her family, Toni Tellefson Bagley and her husband, Joseph Bagley, of Ontario, California.

The family is planning memorial services and interment on Mackinac Island. No date has been set.