Lighting Veteran Passes Away

IRVINE, Calif. – Solid State Lighting & sustainability advocate and former Tempo Industries President & CEO Terrence Walsh passed away Saturday, May 13, 2023, after a brief illness.

Terrence had nearly 50 years of significant involvement in the lighting industry. Walsh had held Board seats with many companies, secured four U.S. patents, authored numerous lighting articles, and was a frequent speaker at IES, DOE workshops, LED conferences and industry-related trade shows that focused on the development and adoption of LED technology as a key foundation to achieving material energy savings with viably sustainable products. He will be missed by many.

Walsh began his career with Prescolite, then a US Industries Company, and was directly involved for a decade with USI’s strategy that resulted in one of the first successful lighting conglomerates. Subsequently, he was the first President of Zumtobel and kickstarted its U.S. presence. He also worked with JJI Lighting Group and founded Integrated Lighting Industries in 1989. In 1991, he purchased Tivoli Industries, which he grew in part by driving patent-garnering innovation in cinema auditorium lighting that is still considered by many to be the best available today. In three years he was able to take Tivoli public. Concurrently, he created a joint venture with Targetti Sankey S.p.A., resulting in its US market entry, and in 1999 oversaw the successful sale of Tivoli to the Italian firm. In 2000, Terrence became an Executive Director of a New York-based investment banking and asset management firm and was critically involved in a number of acquisitions, including the successful sale of Teka to B-K Lighting in 2005.

Walsh joined Tempo Lighting in 2006 as a Principal assisting in the development of multiple award-winning LED lighting solutions. His innovation effort focused on LED adoption into architectural and cove lighting applications. Walsh was an early and vocal advocate of LED technology, recognizing its potential to revolutionize the lighting industry. Walsh eventually became President and CEO of Tempo, where he led the company until his retirement in 2022.

Terrence was also a distinguished veteran of the U.S. Army as an officer and completed multiple combat tours in Vietnam. Terrence, known as “Terry” by his close friends and associates, was also a proud graduate of Rutgers University in Physics and had a lifelong passion for astronomy, photography, and New York Yankees baseball. He is survived by his wife Marilyn Walsh of 45 years.