Lt. Col. Thomas J. DeSipin

DESIPIN, THOMAS J., LT. COLONEL, USAF Retired, age 83 passed away February 27, 2004, of natural causes at Riverside Community Hospital. A resident of Riverside the last 35 years, he was born in Wilmington, DE on February 3, 1921, was raised in Upper Darby, PA, and received his BME degree from Villanova University. His military career spanned 27 years of diversified service in the U.S. Army Air Force including unit commander at a U.S. base in France following WWII, and culminating in the Fifteenth Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff/Logistics directorate at the time of his retirement in 1975. Among his awards and decorations are the Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnam Service Medal, Euro-African-Middle Eastern Campaign, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Belgium Fourragere Citation. He is recipient of the Honorary Citizen Award from Father Flanagan's Boys Town because of distinguished service rendered. Lt. Colonel DeSipin was a parishioner at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church and a life time member of the Military Association of America (MOAA). Interment will be at Riverside National Cemetery, March 12, 2004 at 1PM, staging area #5, with military honors. A Memorial Mass will be conducted March 17, 2004, 10AM, at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church, Riverside, corner of Arlington & Brockton Avenues. Lt. Colonel DeSipin is survived by his sister Margaret DeSipin of Upper Darby, PA. Arlington Mortuary is handling arrangements.