THOMAS LEO RUSHTON

1934 - 2019

RUSHTON, THOMAS LEO
Thomas Leo Rushton passed into eternity on January 10, 2019 surrounded by loved ones in Ocala, FL. He was born October 10, 1934, in Montague, NJ to Thomas Dixon Rushton and Mildred Ilene (Shearing) Rushton. He was raised in New Bedford, MA and attended high school there. His ancestry is British, his father being a native of England. Tom joined the US Air Force in 1953, training on radar equipment and spent his career in related communication fields. Tom worked in electronics at Cape Canaveral in the early space program. He also worked throughout the Caribbean and the Orient. He spent six months at the Eniwetok, Marshall Islands atomic and hydrogen bomb test series in the Pacific called Operation Redwing in 1956. He served in the USAF for eight years.
As a civilian, he worked many years overseas at the Atlantic Missile Range during the space race. His foreign posts included several years in Okinawa, then Vietnam at the height of that conflict. Captured in Hue City, South Vietnam in the Tet Offensive of 1968, he spent the next more than five years as an American POW of the communists, under often brutal and harsh conditions in NV. After returning to American soil in 1973 and a period of transition, he continued to pursue his career in electronics in Massachusetts and Rhode Island with Raytheon. He worked for Raytheon Company in their Submarine Signal Division until his retirement. He began his journey into the world as a young airman at Patrick Air Force Base FL in 1955, concluding his journey as a retiree in Central Florida, which he came to love.
He is survived by his daughter, Carol Rushton Gifford (husband, Daniel) of Pensacola, Florida; three grandchildren, Rachel, Nathan and Sarah; and three great grandchildren, Sophie, Weston and Charlotte. He leaves behind his true love, spouse, Millie Anne (Vincent) Grindstaff; sister, Claire McDonald; brother, Ronald Rushton; nephews and nieces; best friend, Fran Calcutta.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father; sister, Phyllis Loring; and sister, Linda Lepsesty. His special four legged companions, Schotzie and Angel, will always haunt the rooms of their home, trying to follow his endless scent trail.
Tom and Millie were members of Community Presbyterian Church since April, 2008 where they were married by the Rev. James Walkup.
Memorial services with military honors will be conducted at a later date at Community Presbyterian Church, McIntosh, FL with the Rev. Scott Simmons officiating. In lieu of flowers,Tom would like best to be remembered with contributions to the Marion County Humane Society, PO Box 1542, Ocala FL 34478. (Arrangements by Hiers Funeral Home).