Lt. Col. Thomas R Masino Sr.'s Obituary
Lt. Col. Thomas R. Masino, Sr., USAF Retired, 87
Lt. Col. Tom Masino, Sr., USAF Retired, passed away on August 10, 2022 surrounded by his family. Tom was devoted to his family, his country, his church and his community.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Gaetano and Carmela; brothers Frank, Michael, and Anthony; sisters Josephine and Rose; and his daughter, Gina Masino. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Eileen Masino, his son Thomas Jr. (“T. R.”), his brother Nicholas Masino (Barbara) of Stewartsville, NJ, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Tom was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a large Catholic Italian family. The son of immigrants, he learned English and made education a priority. He attended Brooklyn College, where he joined the Air Force via the ROTC program. He was commissioned as an officer in 1957 and trained as a navigator. Tom flew missions all over the world in cargo aircraft such as the C-133 and the C-5 Galaxy. In addition, he was an Air Force ROTC instructor at the University of Maryland, and established the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Air Force after serving for over 23 years, and went to work for the State of Delaware in the Department of Natural Resources, heading up applicant services in Personnel. After retiring from the state, Tom was President of the Delaware chapter of the National Association of Uniformed Services, an organization that ensured that the unique needs of the military community were supported by legislators in Washington, DC. Always a devout Catholic, he served for many years in the Knights of Columbus before becoming a Deacon in 2004. He performed numerous rites of the Catholic Church to include baptisms, marriages and interments, before retiring from the diaconate in 2010.
Tom always enjoyed flying – he got his private pilot’s license in 1970, and was a member of the DAFB Aero Club. For many years he kept a garden and enjoyed swimming. But most of all, Tom enjoyed spending time at home with his family.
Our family is grateful to all the nurses, doctors and aides that supported Tom and our family during his illness; especially Clara Pinder and Kelly Greenly, who provided excellent care for Tom at home. A viewing will be held at Trader Funeral Home, 12 Lotus Street, Dover, Delaware on Thursday August 18th from 4 – 6 pm. A funeral mass will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 631 South State Street, Dover, Delaware, on Friday August 19th at 10 am with interment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the USO, P.O. Box 96860, Washington, DC 20077-7677; Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, P.O. Box 4469, Washington, DC 20017; or Delaware Hospice, 911 South DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
Letters of condolences may be sent to www.traderfh.com
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