Tom's lifelong love of astronomy was sparked by his first experience as a young boy in looking through a telescope. His professional career began with the Army Map Service in 1968 and continued with the Defense Mapping Agency, National Imagery and Mapping Agency and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He was a member of the Senior Executive Service and served in various leadership positions throughout his career. His proudest career accomplishment was as project manager of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which successfully flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavor, MSTS 99 in February of 2000. The SRTM is on display at the NASM Udvar-Hazy Center. Tom earned a master's degree in photogrammetry and remote sensing from Purdue University, and after 36 years of service he retired in 2005. Tom enjoyed chasing total solar eclipses, comets, and various astronomical events, as well as sharing his hobbies of photography and amateur radio with friends. He passed away from cancer in 2012. He cherished his country, honored those who defended her, worked every day of his life toward those ideals, and never compromised his principles. His passion for space and astronomy live on through the work of his wife, his son Tommy, and the many lives he touched during his time on this planet.