Tommy Hellesto left this physical plane Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, following a stroke.
He was born May 31, 1935, on Vashon Island, Wash., and he grew up there. Following high school, he started his career at Boeing where he worked as an apprentice, and then a journeyman. Soon, he and his young family journeyed to Pullman, where he worked as a machinist at Dana Hall for many years. He was always grateful to have a skill that he could put to use on many interesting projects such as creating an artificial leg for a racehorse (Boitron); a window on the side of a cow through which researchers and students could observe the workings of the bovine stomach; and a specialized titanium dart for tranquilizing Ugandan kob, among many other creations.