|
Jul 8, 1942 - Mar 12, 2021
.jpeg) 
Tom served 30 years active duty in the Coast Guard at stations far
and wide; he retired with the rank of Captain in 1995.
Tom's last active duty assignment was Deputy Director, National
Pollution Funds Center. Coast Guard Headquarters assignments
included Deputy Chief, Office of Engineering, Logistics, and
Development; Chief, Logistics Management Division; Chief, Plan-
ning and Administration Division, Office of Acquisition; Chief,
Budget Execution and Analysis Branch, Office of Chief of Staff;
Chief, Operating Funds Management Branch, Office of the Comp-
troller. He also served as Executive Assistant to the Department
of Transportations first Inspector General.
Field assignments included tours as Commanding Officer, Coast
Guard Inventory Control Point and Supply Center, Brooklyn NY;
Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Pay Center while overseeing its
relocation and establishment from Riverdale, MD to Topeka, KS;
Commanding Officer, Coast Guard LORAN Station, Matratin, Libya;
and Eleventh CG District Public Information Officer in Long
Beach, CA during the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill and both
crashes of the 1969 Scandinavian Airlines DC-8 and United Airlines
727 into Santa Monica Bay.
Shipboard tours were on the USCGC CHEROKEE (WMEC-165), USCGC MORRIS
(WSC-147), and USCGC DUANE (WPG-33). He graduated USCG Academy in
1965 and U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA in 1971.
Tom was born in Estonia and spoke the language fluently. He grew up
in Claremont, California. Tom and Karen married in 1965 and raised
two daughters. He will be sorely missed by his family and the host
of retired Coast Guard officers who were his compatriots.
.png)
Verona-Cedar Grove Times (new Jersey) - Apr 22, 1965
.jpeg)
|
Linda Kopecky (Gomez) (1960)
Tom was one of a kind. A special human being who cared about CHS. I was privileged to know him and share several classes at school So sorry for his family's loss
Gerald Kelly (1960)
Tom lived down the street from me and was one of my best friends. We played on the football team together and became very close. He was to be best man at my wedding, but a scheduling conflict prevented him from attending. His family were immigrants from Estonia and he kind of took over as the oldest brother and best english speaker as the family spokesman. Always positive looking for solutions to problems. One of the first to sign up at the new Stater Bros grocery store to add to the family income.
I remember learning one key Estonian phrase went I walked to Tom's house on Ninth Street. "Can Tom mang ge mah"? Can Tom come and play?
A dear and close friend I'll always remember.
Jerry Kelly
Michael Schafer (1960)
Since I lived across the street for Jerry Kelly, Tom was also a neighbor and a friend. We had a lot of fun together when we were younger and remained friends during our years at CHS. He was always a fun guy and a good student. I still remember how happy he was when he was accepted into the Coast Guard Academy. I admire that he spent a lot of his life serving our country and am also sorry for his family and friends loss.