Thomas Uriel McElmurry

THOMAS URIEL MCELMURRY, LIEUTENANT COLONEL, USAF, RET. passed away on November 3. 2006 at the age of 85. Services will be held at 10:00AM, Monday November 6 at the Nassau Bay Baptist Church, 18131 Nassau Bay Drive. Preceded in death earlier this year by his wife Katherine, Tom is survived by four sons, thirteen grand children and four great grand children. Tom began his Air Force career at the age of 17 with the Army Air Force in Seward Alaska, eventually receiving flight training in Santa Maria California in 1942. After flying two tours of duty in World War II, he obtained a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering, University of Alabama and master of science in aeronautical engineering, University of Michigan. Remaining on activity military and as a test pilot, Tom was Chief of the Operations and Training Branch, USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, and an Astronaut candidate NASA group 2, selected in 1961 for military astronaut class 1; Instructor, USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School where he was involved with the NF104 space plane ; test pilot at the Naval Weapons Center in California and at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. During his career with NASA, he was Chief, Flight Crew Operations, Office of Manned Space Flight (OMSF); Chief, Orbiter Atmospheric Flight Test Office; Director of Flight Crew Operations; Deputy Manager, Operations Integration, Space Shuttle Program; Office Manager, Operations Integration, Space Shuttle Program Office; Visiting Lecturer, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona; Assistant for Systems Reliability and Quality Assurance, Systems Division, Mission Operations. Upon retiring from NASA he served 13 years as a Visiting Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering Department, Texas A&M University. While at A&M he was the advisor to the student Aviation Association as well as to the Corp of Cadets. In his spare time, Tom was a very active flight instructor and avid flyer. With all his accomplishments and adventures, he made it very clear that the only important thing in his life was his relationship with God. He shared his faith with all he met and exemplified his Christian life in how he lived each day. The family express their sincere appreciation and love to Tom's friends that helped him thru his final days. Special gentlemen like George and Jerry personify what it means to be a real friend.