Thomas Kirwin McLean passed peacefully on January 14, 2026. Born in New York and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he graduated from Richard J. Reynolds High School in (1971). He later earned degrees in Statistics, Psychology, and Computer Science from the University of Georgia (1980). Thomas's career in information technology and systems engineering spanned more than three decades across government, defense, and private industry. His work began at Lockheed-EMSCO in 1980 before moving to Intergraph Corporation, and later Oracle Corporation, Quest Software, and Computing Technology Solutions, retiring in 2009.

Thomas moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1987, where he resided until his passing. Those who knew Thomas knew that he loved meeting new people, and his friends were like family to him. A long-time member of the Monte Sano community, he was an active member of the Monte Sano Club, noted Mountain Bocce Ball Champion, and Founder and Grand Poobah of the Monte Sano Greyhound Society. He loved live music, dancing, playing his guitar, and Georgia football. He loved to host a party, notably his annual Christmas gathering, where his signature presentation of the flaming Cafe Diablo cocktail was a highlight for all.

Thomas is survived by his wife Karen Arthur McLean; his daughters Caroline McLean and Anna Banks; his stepsons Mark Campbell and Shane Campbell (Brooke Campbell); his brother William McLean (Joyce McLean); his stepsiblings George Kerschner (Muffy Kerschner), Bruce Kerschner, and Deborah Joy Kerschner (Walter Barrows V.); his grandchildren Oliver Banks, Harper Banks, Abby Campbell, and Stella Campbell; and his beloved dogs Lulu, Mickey, and Tilly. He is also survived by many wonderful friends who loved Thomas deeply.

A celebration of life will be held at Monte Sano Lodge on Saturday, February 21, at 7:00 PM.

Berryhill Funeral Home assisted the family.