Tom Erwin

1924 - 2020

Tom Erwin

Shreveport - Tom Erwin, originally of Shreveport, passed away in Baton Rouge on June 7, 2020. He was 95 years old. Tom was born in the country in central Louisiana on August 30, 1924, but grew up in New Orleans. He had vivid memories and unending stories of his early life along St. Charles Ave., delivering papers, working in the bakery, going to dances on the riverboats, and working at Higgins Industries building boats for World War II. Upon turning 18, he joined the Navy where he served in the South Pacific from 1943-45, operating sonar on a destroyer escort.

Following the war, he studied broadcasting in California and soon after began working in radio. In 1948 he returned home to settle in Alexandria at radio station KALB. There he did everything from play records and read news, to voice commercials and announce sports play-by-play. Later, as the new medium of television came along, he made the transition and in 1954 helped open one of Louisiana's early TV stations.

It was there he met Nancy Seifert, who went on to become his wife of 52 years. In 1967 they found new opportunities moving to Shreveport where Tom worked at KSLA-TV for two decades. As an anchorman and television journalist he covered everything from politics to disasters and even spent years piloting the TV station's plane. But he made his mark travelling the Ark-La-Tex in a motorhome, telling stories about the everyday people of the region and spotlighting their history, cultures, and traditions.

After retiring in 1986, he and Nancy spent much of their time in motor coaches visiting every state in the nation and every province in Canada. They also travelled extensively on cruises including trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, Russia, the Balkans, and the Panama Canal.

In 2005, Tom set his life story to paper, writing a memoir: "The Time of My Life: An Autobiography from the Greatest Generation." It was mostly a remembrance of his early years, growing up in New Orleans, seeing battle in World War II, and coming back home as a young man to a make a new life. Throughout the years, he was particularly proud of his service in World War II and was honored recently to serve as a sonar consultant to the Tom Hanks WW II film Greyhound, filmed in Baton Rouge.

Tom is survived by his son, Barry Erwin and his wife Mary Durusau, of Baton Rouge; his daughter Kathy Doyle of Lafayette, LA; and two grandchildren, Dexter and Samantha Doyle.

A memorial Mass will be held at a future date. The family requests that any memorial donations be made to the U.S.S. Kidd Veterans Museum in Baton Rouge.