Tom McIsaac's Obituary
Captain Alban Thompson ‘Tom’ McIsaac, USN (Retired), beloved son, brother, Naval Officer, teacher, uncle, friend, and father figure, departed this life on April 3, 2017 in Annapolis, MD. Tom was the son of RADM John M. McIsaac USN (Retired) and Nova Thompson McIsaac. He was born in San Diego, CA in 1933. As a young boy living in Oahu, he and his older brother observed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor while their father was out to sea. The family moved many times before Tom completed high school in Newport, Rhode Island, including residence in Mexico City for a time. Tom aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and was accepted as a member of the United States Naval Academy Class of 1955. Following his graduation, he served as an active duty Surface Warfare Officer for twenty-two years, including command of the destroyer Vesole (DD878). He also served on the aircraft carriers USS Yorktown (CVS IO) and Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31), and on the destroyers Stormes (DD780) and on the Stickell (DD888). His service included various deployments in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean and South China Seas. His shore assignments included math instructor at the Naval Academy and aide to Admiral Kidd at the Naval Material Command. He was a student at the Naval War College and an engineer at the Naval Sea Systems Command. Tom often said that his years in the Navy were some of the best years in his life.
After retiring from the Navy, he earned Master’s Degrees from George Washington University and from American University and taught math and physics at The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. One of his mottos was “Take the time to learn”. He was active as a Blue and Gold Officer for the USNA Alumni organization and gave hours of his time performing the layout chores for the class “Thirty Years Later” book. He served in the leadership of the Kiwanis Club and was often seen exhibiting his special skill at flipping flapjacks for one of many pancake breakfasts. He attended the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. Tom was a dedicated donor and volunteer with the American Red Cross. He volunteered in various roles with the Bethesda Naval Hospital, also known as the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, Maryland. He was a decades-long member of the Tuesday Evening Square Dance Group (TESDG) in the Washington, DC area, serving for many years as their treasurer and member of the Board, and continued his involvement even after he was no longer able to dance. Tom was an avid fan of Navy football, and enjoyed tailgate parties and season tickets with several of his classmates. He was a good athlete and enjoyed skiing, tennis, bike riding, hiking, swimming and scuba diving. He was a perennial patron of the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and had his own vocal talent which he shared with enthusiasm. Tom contributed to many charitable organizations, and amassed an extensive assortment of address labels, calendars, memo pads, and all manner of solicitations as a result. Alas, the collection will likely continue to expand even after his death.
Tom will be remembered for his integrity, generosity, humor, loyalty, and sense of duty. Always a gentleman, he invariably exhibited good manners learned as a youth – especially in the company of a lady. He was a consummate host and enjoyed entertaining, known for his signature dishes of beef stroganoff and Caesar salad, or a massive bowl of fresh fruit, prepared by hand. Family and friends always enjoyed his presence at any occasion and will cherish memories of him at the beach in Bethany, Delaware, and at the annual family crab feasts and Christmas parties with relatives.
Tom is survived by his brother, John M. McIsaac, Lt. Commander , USN , Retired ("Patou") of Severna Park, MD, his niece, Catherine "Lee" Thomas (Bruce) of St Michaels, MD, his nephew, John M. "Chip" McIsaac, (Janice) of Bloomfield, CT, his nephew, Scott T. McIsaac (Margaret), of Hingham, MA, two great nephews, three great nieces, one great great niece, as well as many very special cousins, classmates, friends and companions.
Per his wishes, an Inurnment Service is scheduled for the USNA Columbarium at 11:00am on Monday April 17, 2017. A reception will follow at the Officers Club. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that memorial contributions be made to the charity of your choice or to the Naval Academy Foundation.
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