FORT WAYNE, IN – It is with sorrow that WaterFurnace International, Inc. announces the passing of its President and CEO, Tom Huntington, after a battle with cancer. Huntington passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family at the Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, Missouri.
Huntington was born in Syracuse, New York, to Marie and Joseph W. Huntington Jr. He received a bachelor of science in engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master of science in engineering from Syracuse University.
Before joining WaterFurnace in May 2009, Huntington had a distinguished career in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) business. He served in many different roles throughout his career: a division marketing general manager at Carrier Corp., director of sales and marketing at KeepRite, vice president of corporate marketing at Climatic Corporation, vice president and general manager of Evcon Industries Inc., vice president of global marketing and sales at Bristol Compressors, and president of Unitary Products Group of York International/Johnson Controls. He proudly served as chairman of Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO) and Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Additionally, he served on the board of directors for North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and the planning board for the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
At WaterFurnace, Huntington came to be known as a strong leader, a colleague and a friend. Under his leadership, the company grew its core business to represent a wider portfolio of clean, sustainable solutions. WaterFurnace was rewarded with market share gains in both the residential and commercial space, as well as a number of awards for the innovation of its new products. During Huntington’s tenure, the company also continued to grow its footprint around the world through strategic acquisitions and a joint venture.
Huntington cared as much about sustainable growth for the company as he did about the personal growth of its employees. That included promoting a culture of continuous training/education, wellness initiatives and employee participation in community programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Tom was an outstanding individual, a good friend, a very nice colleague and an unchallenged leader.
Outside work, Huntington was an avid outdoorsman, who enjoyed time hunting, fishing and woodworking, as well as completing home improvement projects. Huntington was an active member of the Sylvia United Methodist Church of Sylvia, Kansas.
Huntington is survived by his wife, Susan Kuhl Huntington; daughter, Lindy (Mark) Landzaat; two sons: Daniel (Shauna) and Adam (Nikki) Huntington; six grandchildren; sister, Joette (Ted) Moss; and several nieces and nephews.
Gerteric Lindquist, president, CEO and chairman of the board of NIBE Industrier AB, stated, “On occasions like this we are all reminded of the facts that life is only a borrowing and good health is a gift. Tom was an outstanding individual, a good friend, a very nice colleague and an unchallenged leader. He was also a formidable fighter, keeping up the spirits until the very end. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom’s family and all of our employees at WaterFurnace International.”
“Our industry has lost a good friend and leader today with the passing of Tom Huntington,” said Geothermal Exchange Organization Chairman Steve Smith. “Tom was a great advocate for the geothermal industry, and a great supporter of GEO. His positive attitude, wealth of ideas and friendly encouragement will be sorely missed.”
WaterFurnace CFO, Fred Andriano, has been appointed by the Board of Directors as the interim President and CEO.