Thomas P. Myers

Thomas Parke Myers, 77, of Bella Vista, AR, formerly of Port Hueneme, CA passed away on July 19, 2011. He was born December 25, 1933 in York, NE, to Dwight and Marjory (Rose) Myers.

Tom grew up in York, NE, Portland, OR, and South Gate, CA, and graduated from York High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 – 1956, serving as the electronic technician on the USS Yuma, a fleet tug which he helped decommission. He also served on the destroyer tender, USS Hamel in Youska, Japan, departing the Navy as Electrician Tech First Class. He was a weapon system engineer working as a flight test engineer on B-52 aircraft at Boeing in Wichita, KS. Tom was an undergraduate at Wichita State while in Wichita, then a field engineer for American Bosch-Arma for guidance systems of Atlas Missiles in Nebraska and New Mexico. Next he worked on Terrier Fire Control Systems for Sperry Gyroscope Systems, and finally for the U.S. Government as a systems engineer for Terrier, Harpoon and manager of test and evaluation fleet introduction and life cycle support of the Tomahawk Weapon System. He completed his undergrad engineering degree at UCLA followed by a Masters Degree in public administration at USC, and a year of study at the National War College. Tom began his final service in Port Hueneme as director of engineering for Surface Warfare Center, then the Director of Logistics until retirement. He was pleased that his career led from the vacuum tube to large scale integrated circuits and LP records to VCRS. He enjoyed his retirement, fishing, fly tying, gardening, golfing, and playing poker.

He is survived by his wife Gloria of Bella Vista, AR; daughter Mary and her husband Dr. Henry Westrich of Edgewood, NM; grandsons Dr. Tom Westrich and his wife Dr. Meghan Cuddihy of Ann Arbor, MI and Brad Westrich of Hurricane, UT; brother Skip and Ann Krieser, of Guthrie, OK; sister Jill and Al Catlin of Kearney, NE, as well as his sisters-in-law, Donna Stahr of Surprise, AZ, and Anity Parker of Grand Island, NE, and their children, his dearly loved nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at the Metz Chapel in York, NE. Tom was buried in York’s Greenwood Cemetery near some of his ancestors. Memorials may be directed to the family.