Retired USAF Col. Thomas J. Barber ’66
Retired USAF Col. Thomas J. Barber, Middlebury, CT, died April 7, 2024.
Tom, aka, “Torch,” was happiest with his feet off the ground. He loved being on the water or in the air. At nine years old he was “working” at Rye, New York’s Playland Amusement Park, helping to run the motorboat concession – a job he loved. In retirement, he spent lots of time on the water once again, sailing around in his (dreamed of) boat the “Mission Accomplished.” On his first airplane trip as a child, he became fascinated with flying, a feeling that would later lead to flying lessons in Vermont and a 23-year career flying fighter jets for the U.S. Air Force.
He was the middle child of Richard and Frances Barber, a lawyer/city judge father legal secretary mother respectively and grew up with four siblings. Tom was a challenging child. He once drove the family car through the garage wall, and displayed his conservative bent toward having and saving money by charging the neighborhood kids for passage through the Barbers’ backyard!
Tom attended Catholic schools throughout his life, finishing at Saint Michael’s where he joined ROTC and graduated as a first lieutenant in the Air Force. Upon completing pilot training, Tom was thrilled to be assigned to “fighters” and began preparations to serve in Vietnam where he flew 207 missions, received many commendations, and sadly lost many compadres while learning firsthand that war is indeed hell.
He was then assigned to Bitburg Air Force Base, West Germany. There, Tom, his young wife and children found precious lifelong friends, wonderful travel opportunities, and the basics for their future years as an Air Force family.
Tom’s proudest moments as an Air Force officer came when he received two command assignments: the first in 1981 as Commander of the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Virginia, known as the Hat-in-the-Ring squadron; the second in 1986 as Commander of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, known as the Liberty Wing. During his varied career, in addition to flying in training aircraft, (the T38 being a favorite) Tom piloted the F4 Phantom, the F15 Eagle, and the F111 Aardvark.
Tom retired from the air force in 1988 and had a successful second career as an executive with several businesses until his civilian retirement in 2016. In this period, he became a seasoned senior executive in the private and government sectors of the aerospace industry. His positions included senior vice president at Telephonics Corporation, and prior to that, vice president of business development and strategic planning at LORAL Corporation, a position he later held with Lockheed Martin. He also was director of business development and strategic planning at Texas Instruments in his civilian career. He served as a board member and executive VP of the National Defense Industrial Association (New York), lectured on leadership and management at Columbia University, and volunteered at a hospital.
Some years after earning his political science degree from Saint Michael’s, Tom later achieved an MBA from the University of Arkansas. He also was a graduate of the Air Force Command and Staff College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the National War College. He also was a Founders Club supporter of Saint Michael’s.
He loved his family, his friends, his country, his boat, a good book, and a Beefeater on the rocks with a couple of olives. Above all, he loved to laugh and have fun. Tom’s big toothy grin and the devilish glint in his sparkling blue eyes will long be remembered.
Tom is survived by his wife of 56 years, Joanne, two sons, a daughter, a brother, three sisters and extended family.