Tam Pacific Pho

Tam Pacific Pho, a son, brother, uncle and friend who was deeply loved for his kind and generous heart, passed away on June 8, 2020, at his home in McKinney, Texas, from a heart condition he had been managing for several years. He was born Phó Bá Hồng-Tâm in Saigon, Vietnam, on January 5, 1965, and was the third child of Phó Bá Long and Claire Ðặng. He was airlifted to safety with his family at the close of the Vietnam War and came to America as a refugee in 1975. They settled in McLean, Virginia where Tam attended Kent Gardens Elementary, Longfellow Intermediate, and McLean High School from where he graduated in 1983. As a teenager, Tam loved model rocketry and was a National Champion in 1982. He was also an avid cross-country and marathon runner. His passion for flight and a strong desire to serve his new country led him to seek and accept an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy where he graduated in 1987 with a degree in Astronautical Engineering. Tam went on to serve in the Air Force at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where he was the manager for the first Centaur upper stage in the Titan IV Spacelifter program. He completed his military service at the rank of Captain and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal. Tam returned to Virginia to work for Orbital Sciences Corporation where he was instrumental in the integration and testing of the Pegasus launch vehicle, and the creation of an operations control center in Madrid, Spain. He resettled to Texas in 1998, initially to work for Beal Aerospace on the BA-2 launch vehicle and eventually to co-found his own entrepreneurial venture, Aerocross Systems. His company developed the Echo Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System and engineered the Brilliant Eyes augmented reality Head-Mounted Display, the world's first affordable smart glasses designed for general aviation pilots. He continued to work during his retirement as a professional problem solver for both high tech and small business clients, as well as friends and neighbors. Tam especially loved to collect and renovate all manner of things, vehicles, and homes.
In his adoptive hometown of McKinney, Texas, Tam met his long-time partner, Felicia Harris, with whom he shared over two happy decades. He was deeply religious and actively involved in his church and local community, as well as devoted to his large extended family and countless friends. Tam will be missed for his gentle and generous nature, and his willingness to always lend a helping hand to anyone in need without expecting anything in return. Although his heart failed him too early in his life, everyone who knew him could see how big it was, and that it was made of gold. Tam is survived by his mother, Claire, five siblings (Hồng-Phong Bá Phó, Le-Thu Lodge, Hong-Quang Pho, Chau Pho Tung, and Hong-Minh Pho), his beloved Felicia and her grandson Landon whom he loved like a son, and his loyal dog, Ollie.
According to his wishes, Tam will be laid to rest at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The interment ceremony will take place later this summer. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Tam's memory to the Air Force Academy Foundation or to the National Association of Rocketry .