In Memoriam
Thomas R. Kieckhefer, 1957-2026
A tragic loss occurred in late October 2026 with the passing of Thomas R. Kieckhefer AKA “Tom K” or “Big Tom”). Tom was integral to the formation of VIVA Vaquita back in 2009, and he served as co-director, social media coordinator, and the designer and curator of our original website. He participated in our field expeditions to study and obtain photos of the vaquita in 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2015. In 2013, he even donated the use of his boat, trailer, and truck to our field survey effort. I have many fond memories of working in the field with Tom…
Born in the land-locked state of Wisconsin (and a star hockey player in college), Tom was a passionate lover of nature and especially of ocean wildlife. He conducted important research on humpback whales for his Master’s thesis at Moss Landing Marine Labs, and co-authored a number of papers on various species of marine mammals. In the 2000s, Tom became increasingly involved in marine education, and with the non-profit Save the Whales, he began a program of interactive school presentations on marine conservation for kids in the central California area. They continued until a few days before his death. These presentations, usually with a focus on the vaquita issue, involved lively slide shows, discussions with the kids, and a wonderful set of “show and tell” items including bones, whale baleen plates, sea otter furs, jars of krill (whale food), etc. Teachers and students alike raved about how Tom’s passion for ocean conservation came through in his programs, and how he interacted so sweetly with the kids (Tom was 6’5” tall, so they looked up to him, both figuratively and literally).
We at VIVA Vaquita and our partner organizations will always remember Tom as a hard-working, passionate, and dedicated scientist, educator, and strong advocate for marine conservation. He had a big heart, a booming voice, and a hearty laugh, and despite his large stature was always friendly, approachable, kind, and warm. Many of us often called him a “gentle giant” and that is truly a moniker that describes him well. But he was also so much more…. a colleague, a confidant, and a very dear friend. Tom was just shy of his 69th birthday when he left this Earth. He will be dearly missed by all of us who work on the study and conservation of marine mammals, as well as all the people whose hearts he touched, including the thousands of students he inspired to love and protect the oceans and their wildlife. RIP, Big Tom, we will always remember you!
If you would like to make a donation in honor of Tom K., you can use the Make A Donation button that appears at the upper right corner of each page on our website. Add a note saying the donation is for the “Tom K. vaquita fund”.
