Thomas Boneparte

Major Thomas Boneparte (retired) of Lorton, VA died on October 5, 2025 after a long illness.
Born to the late James and Dorothy Boneparte on April 19, 1954 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Tom graduated from Wilkerson High School, Orangeburg, and the University of Pittsburg before enlisting in the United States Air Force. After being commissioned as an officer, Tom served as a Public Affairs Officer at Little Rock, AR; Thule, Greenland; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. Subsequently, he joined the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) in Italy. Tom returned to public affairs at Whiteman AFB, Missouri as Chief of the Public Affairs Office. At Whiteman, he worked tirelessly with surrounding communities to obtain their buy-in for the arrival of the B2 Bomber. He continued his service as a public affairs officer at Yokota AFB, Japan and ended his military career in1996 at AFRTS, Pentagon.
During his military service, Tom was deployed as part of Desert Shield. While in the Air Force he continued his education attending various military schools and receiving a Master of Public Administration degree. After retiring from the military, he worked as a Technical Writer for several government contractors in the Washington, DC area.
Tom married Yvonne Mason in 1982 and she joined him on all assignments after Thule. Together they travelled to Europe, East Asia, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. Besides his constant quest for knowledge, Tom enjoyed dancing, bringing people together wherever he went and working with young people as a brother of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
Preceded in death by his parents and four siblings, Tom will be sorely missed by his wife Yvonne, four siblings, many nieces and nephews and his numerous friends and associates. Services are pending.