Tom Yoksas, a longtime member of the NSF Unidata Program Center and a valued member of the broader Unidata and meteorological communities, died August 20, 2026. Over a career spanning many years, Yoksas made lasting contributions to the systems and infrastructure that enabled the sharing of real-time environmental data among scientific, educational, and operational communities.
Yoksas was particularly well known within the LDM/IDD and McIDAS-X communities, where his technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and willingness to help others made him a trusted colleague and mentor.
His talent for weather forecasting emerged early in his career. While a graduate student at the University of Wyoming, Yoksas won the National Collegiate Weather Forecasting Contest Graduate Student Division, an early indication of the forecasting expertise that would become an important part of his professional life.
Connecting People and Data
During his years with NSF Unidata, Yoksas played an important role in developing and supporting software and infrastructure that connected users with the environmental data they needed. His work with the Local Data Manager (LDM), Internet Data Distribution (IDD), and McIDAS-X helped strengthen the flow of real-time data across the Unidata community and beyond.
Yoksas was instrumental in expanding the reach of the IDD internationally through the establishment of IDD-Brasil, helping connect meteorological and scientific communities beyond the United States.
His work also extended into operational applications. Yoksas helped support the National Weather Service’s work with NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. In 2011, the Unidata Program Center received a Space Shuttle Program Commendation recognizing Yoksas and his colleague Steve Emmerson for their assistance with the implementation of McIDAS and the AWIPS LDM.
A Familiar Presence at AMS
Yoksas was also a familiar presence at American Meteorological Society meetings, where he represented Unidata and shared his technical knowledge with the broader meteorological community.
For years, he played an important behind-the-scenes role in ensuring that real-time environmental data were available in the AMS exhibition hall for vendors and others who depended on live data feeds. The effort required considerable technical expertise and preparation, but Yoksas approached it with the same quiet dedication that characterized so much of his work.
Perhaps even more memorable than his technical accomplishments was his generosity with his knowledge. Colleagues and members of the broader community frequently turned to Yoksas for help with difficult problems. He was known for taking the time to listen, troubleshoot, and help others find a solution.
A Lasting Legacy
Yoksas was more than a technical expert. He was a colleague, mentor, problem solver, and friend whose presence became a constant within the NSF Unidata Community.
His work helped connect people, systems, and sources of environmental data across scientific and operational communities. Just as importantly, his willingness to share his expertise strengthened the people and communities around those systems.
For the many colleagues who worked with him over the years, it is difficult to imagine the Unidata community without Tom’s familiar presence. His knowledge, dedication, and generosity left an enduring mark on NSF Unidata, the American Meteorological Society community, and the many institutions and individuals who relied on the systems he helped build, maintain, and support.
Tom Yoksas will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
