Nuclear physicist's work was on the cutting edge

Right from the start of his career as an experimental physicist, Thomas J. Yule worked in cutting-edge technologies.

From his early work in nuclear reactor physics at Argonne National Laboratory to his later work with its Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars project, he was considered an expert by his peers, and a mentor to his co-workers.

Now his colleagues are joining family members in mourning his passing. Mr. Yule died Jan. 10. The St. Charles resident was 67.

"In the early part of his career, he was seen as an expert in the instrumentation areas and helped developed the most sensitive of their type in the reactor program," says his colleague Brad Micklich, a radiation physicist and former professor of nuclear engineering and bioengineering at the University of Illinois.

Mr. Yule grew up on Chicago's Northwest side, where his father ran a cigar stand and his mother worked as a secretary. Both promoted education for their two sons.

"Right from the start, they could see that Tom was exceptionally bright," says his wife, Lee. "They saw great promise in him, and they took great pride in his accomplishments."

Mr. Yule attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette before earning a degree in physics and minor in philosophy at John Carroll University in Cleveland. He completed his postgraduate work, a master's and doctorate in physics, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Family members say he chose to work at Argonne, one of the U.S. Department of Energy's largest research centers because of its proximity to Chicago and his family. It's near where Cook, DuPage and Will counties touch.

When he started in 1968, he worked in Argonne's project of developing nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes. Within three years, he was named chief investigator for a series of projects funded by the government's Office of Health and Environmental Research to detect radioactive substances.

One project led to the most sensitive monitor for airborne radioactive plutonium in the workplace, while the other led to a monitor for airborne tritium that distinguishes between its gaseous and water vapor form

Both discoveries led to patents, Micklich adds.

In the 1980s, Mr. Yule switched gears and began working with the laboratory's Star Wars project. Specifically, he worked in its accelerator program, which worked to develop a particle beam that could detect an attack by nuclear ballistic missiles.

Mr. Yule spent the last part of his 34-year career at Argonne in administration, including managing its Decontamination and Decommissioning program for nuclear materials.

"He always said he enjoyed his years as an experimental physicist the best, where he got to try new things," his wife adds.

Besides his wife, Mr. Yule is survived by his daughters, Adrienne (Todd) of Denver, Colo., and Sharon Yule of New York City, as well as his brother, Rick (Donna) Yule, and his stepson, Andy (Amanda) Anderson, and a stepdaughter, Susan (Paul Gryglas) Anderson. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Jean, and his parents.

Visitation will take place at 10 a.m. Friday before an 11 a.m. memorial service at St. Matthew United Church of Christ, 1420 S. Gables Blvd. in Wheaton.