Thomas Evans Waldrop

Thomas ""Tom"" Evans Waldrop died in his Denver home on July 21, 2015, ten days after his 84th birthday. Tom was born on July 11, 1931 in the town of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, but grew up on the other side of the Rio Grande, in Eagle Pass, a Texas border town. His mother was Carolina Elizondo Musquiz from Piedras Negras. His father, Thomas Evans Waldrop Sr, was from Corinth, Kentucky. Thomas Sr. was an officer in the US Army and was stationed in Eagle Pass, Texas, where he met his future wife. Soon after he left the Army he began working for the Eagle Pass Union Pacific International Railroad Company. Tom Jr. joined the US Air Force at nineteen, where he served for thirty years, retiring in 1981 as a Chief Master Sergeant. During his career, he traveled around the world, including assignments in the Azores, Italy (while stationed at a NATO installation in Naples, Italy, he met his wife of 58 years, Fulvia Sanniti Waldrop), Korea, Panama, and Germany along with US assignments in Massachusetts, Florida, California, New York and Colorado. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he worked as an interpreter to understand the dialogue between Cuba and the US and went on to be a language instructor and personnel specialist. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees after enlisting, while working full time and raising four children with his wife. After retiring from the Air Force, Tom enjoyed a second career for thirteen years as a Jr. ROTC instructor at Central High School in Aurora Public Schools, allowing him to continue wearing the military uniform he loved so much. Shortly after his second retirement, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. With medication, he was able to minimize the impact of the disease for many years, though this became especially difficult during the last 18 months of his life. His physical decline quickened during the last few months and then accelerated even more as a result of a hip fracture sustained a week before his death. Tom was too weak to withstand surgery, so his family brought him home. With the assistance of Denver Hospice, Tom spent his last days at home, in his bed, surrounded by his wife, children and granddaughter. He passed away gracefully just as he lived his life. He will be remembered as one of the most gentle and kind men who ever lived. Tom is survived by his wife Fulvia Sanniti Waldrop and his four children: Cynthia Waldrop of Denver; Pamela Compton and her daughter Hayley Compton, also of Denver; Robert Waldrop (Jennifer Downey) of Brooklyn; and Valerie Waldrop (Marc Kornmesser) of Anchorage and their children, Wyatt and Milo; his sister Elizabeth (Didi) Waldrop, nephew Alberto Salmon Waldrop and nieces Cecy Salmon Waldrop and Mayte Rodriguez. He is also survived by many loving grand nieces and nephews. Tom is preceded in death by his mother, Carolina Elizondo Musquiz; his father, Thomas Evans Waldrop; his eldest sister, Mary Caroline Waldrop and two of her children, Raul Rodriquez Waldrop and Laura Rodriguez Waldrop. Services will be held at 10 AM Thursday, July 30th at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 1091 S. Colorado Boulevard with a reception following the chapel service. There will be a procession to Fort Logan National Cemetery for a military graveside ceremony and burial at 1:30 pm. Relatives, friends, and colleagues are welcome to attend. The family requests that no flowers be sent for the service but that a donation in Tom's name be considered to The Denver Hospice, http://www.thedenverhospice.org, 501 South Cherry Street, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80246 or The Michael J. Fox Foundation, http://www.michaeljfox.org, Donation Processing, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014. Please share memories of Tom with his family by visiting the Guestbook link below.