Thomas Joseph Grebinski

Thomas Joseph Grebinski, Jr. passed away on February 18 in Ketchum, Idaho, surrounded by family and friends. A brilliant mind, generous soul, and a lover of nature, music, and deep conversations, Tom lived a life full of passion and curiosity.

Tom relished his life in Ketchum and shared it with his beloved Bengal cat "Betty" and recently a second cat “Buzz” , an extraordinary Savannah F1. Tom had become a local personality, beloved and appreciated for his generosity, engaging conversation, and sense of humor.

Born to Thomas Joseph Grebinski and Shelby Gruber (Davis), Tom was raised in Utica, Michigan, where he developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors from a young age. He loved camping and exploring the wilderness, and enjoyed a lifelong connection to nature. During his school years, he played the violin, ultimately performing with the Utica Symphony Orchestra. A well-rounded student, Tom also excelled in athletics, playing varsity football before graduating from Eisenhower High School in 1973.

Following high school, Tom enlisted in the Navy. He pursued higher education at Michigan Technological University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1980. Shortly after graduation, he moved to California to begin his career, diving into the world of semiconductor manufacturing and later, design.

Tom’s intellect and innovative spirit helped him make significant contributions to the industry. He developed vapor deposition techniques for chip cleaning and improved chemical-mechanical planarization processes. With his first company, he brought to market the fruit of his first significant invention, an atomic layer deposition technique. Later on, he led the semiconductor industry in the development of a new design language that he named OASIS. By using a far more compact way of describing the underlying geometry of chips, OASIS facilitated the development of today’s most complex designs. OASIS is now used by all the major industry players.

His last project focused on the data describing complex chips. His deep understanding of the issues that had been hampering the industry resulted in a truly revolutionary approach to chip data management and will have a profound and lasting impact on the entire semiconductor ecosystem.

Tom was a unique individual and a good friend in the most important ways. His love of entertaining, curiosity, great attention to detail, fashion and design views, wide-ranging interests, and love of words endeared him to all who met him. And for some special occasions and friends, he would write poetry; Tom was also a Renaissance man.

Tom will be greatly missed and remembered for his many acts of kindness towards friends and family.

Tom is survived by his siblings, Cindy Bliemaster, Tracy Grebinski, and Kevin Grebinski; his niece, Jessica Spano (Chris); his nephew, Shane Bliemaster (Lisa); and his great-nieces and great-nephews, Charlie, Lonnie, Ace, Smith, and Otto. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Keith Grebinski. Tom had many friends near and far who will cherish his memory.