Philip Andrew Trainor

Maj. Philip Andrew Trainor, Sr., Ret., 86, of Bellaire, TX died April 29, 2016 at home following a long illness.

A native of NYC, Maj. Trainor was the third son of John and Mary Catherine Trainor. He attended Mount St. Joseph's Military Academy, Brooklyn Preparatory School and graduated cum laude from Villanova University in the class of 1952. Following graduation, he married and pursued a career in the US Air Force.

Maj. Trainor served in the USAF twenty-four years with distinction. He was a veteran of the Korean, Vietnam Wars, and later the Strategic Air Command in the Cold War - serving as a navigator in KC-135 refueling tankers. His career placed him in uniquely hazardous and vigilant positions in the defense of our country.

Phil was a lifelong railroad enthusiast, nicknamed "Choo Choo Trainor". He would regale any willing audience with a lifetime of train memories from childhood recollections of his father's work for the Pullman Company to more recent transcontinental journeys. "Choo Choo" frequently contributed his stories to railroad periodicals.

Larger than life, Maj. Trainor travelled extensively via train in the United States for leisure and around the world for the Air Force. Phil was never one to withhold his opinion on any topic, and his interests in politics, economics, history and the general state of humankind were well-defended and prodigiously shared. He was a member of his beloved New York Athletic Club for over six decades.

Phil will be remembered by many friends, neighbors and relatives. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mary Agnes Trainor, and two children Philip A. Trainor, Jr. and Andrea T. Wade (Kevin) and grandson, Kevin C. Wade, Jr. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Galveston Railroad Museum.