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Thomas Holl Paprocki was born in New York City, NY on 15
Jul 1932 to Thomas P. and Blanche H. Paprocki. He attended school in New York
City and spent his summers on the beach in Atlantic City, NJ. While there, he
became well known to the lifeguards. By the time he was ten he was a beach
patrol mascot and by 15 a full-fledged lifeguard. While summering in New Jersey,
he acquired a Jeep at the age of 14. He took great joy in barreling around his
family’s property until he received his operator's license and was able to drive
back and forth to the beach. His love for military vehicles continued all his
life, and as an adult he spent many weekends fully restoring a World War II Army
Jeep.
Tom’s interest in the military began as a young boy in New York
during World War II. His play time often included playing “war” with his
friends. Tom graduated from Xavier Military High School in New York City, where
he was a member of the school rifle team. Due to his life long interest in the
military, it was only natural for him to want to attend the United States
Military Academy.
Like most of his classmates, Tom arrived at West Point in 1950
with a feeling of excitement and some apprehension. He knew that he would be
tested, but he never doubted his deep-seated determination. He would meet all
trials and triumph in the end. This quality would be what his classmates would
always remember about Tom. Finish what you start; never give up!
Unlike many of his classmates, Tom had little difficulty with
academics. Guns continued to be his great love. Because of this we wondered
whether he would choose artillery as his branch of choice. As usual, Tom
surprised us and chose Armor and Paratroop School after graduation.
Before long, young LT Paprocki was a troop commander with the
Armored Cavalry. Unfortunately, his Army career was cut short because he had to
leave the active Army disabled three years after graduation. As was typical of
Tom Paprocki, he shrugged off this set back, enrolled at MIT, and received a
Bachelor of Science degree in 1959.
Tom worked for RCA in the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
in Greenland and Alaska from 1959 until 1962. In 1962 he joined the Federal
Aviation Administration and was stationed at the National Aviation Facilities
Experimental Center, Atlantic City, NJ. Tom’s FAA career took him to Israel from
1963 to 1965 after accepting the position of Chief Advisor to the Israeli
Government on Aviation in Tel Aviv during the modernization of the Lod Airport,
now known as the Ben Gurion International Airport.
Tom came home from Israel in 1965 with two grand prizes. One was
an oil wick lamp that once had been used as lighting at the old Lod runway. It
was presented to him by the Israelis in recognition of his hard work in
modernizing Lod Airport. The other, a far more personal prize, was his wife.
June was a State Department employee working at the U.S. Embassy during this
period. Tom’s classmates had no doubt which prize he valued more when we saw how
his eyes lit up when he looked at June. They married in December of 1964 at the
Church of Scotland in Tel Aviv.
After his work in Israel, Tom’s career took the Paprocki family
to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1966 to 1967 as he advised the government on
planning and building airports. As Tom’s growing expertise in airport
development became widely known, he was called to Saudi Arabia from 1974 to
1975. While there, he helped plan a new International Airport at Jeddah and was
a government inspector for airport construction throughout the Kingdom.
In time, Tom was recognized internationally as an airport
lighting expert. His accomplishments included the design of
the helipad lighting atop the American embassy in Viet Nam to
facilitate the American evacuation at the end of the Viet Nam conflict. He was
also instrumental in the development of the lighting for the night landings of
the space shuttle at Cape Canaveral, FL. Later in his career, a main focus for
Tom was setting standards for airport and runway lighting with the International
Civil Aviation Organization.
Tom was highly respected for his expertise and received numerous
awards and accolades. They included two FAA Special Achievement Awards and
numerous letters of commendation from foreign governments. Tom published more
than 40 reports detailing FAA projects. He also presented formal papers at
national and international aviation conferences and seminars.
To further enhance his expertise in the aviation community, Tom
held a commercial pilot license with instrument, multi-engine, fixed wing and
helicopter ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate.
Tom is survived by his wife of 40 years, June; two daughters
Janice P. Johnston (LTC Robert J. ’87) and Jill P. Teixeira (Ronald J.); and four grandchildren: Kelly, Dan and
Amy Johnston and Joseph Teixeira. His daughter Janice is also a West Point
graduate, Class of 1988.
Tom Paprocki was a dear friend of his classmates and will be
missed. We will grip hands at our next reunion in his memory. But, even more, he
leaves a huge gap in the hearts of his wife, children and grandchildren.
—James D. Chandler ’54,
Company F-2 classmate,
& June Paprocki, wife
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