October 27, 1934 – December 28, 2022

Thomas J. Grace, Jr., 88, passed away peacefully on December 28, 2022, from complications after a fall.

Tom was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on October 27, 1934, the youngest of four children and the only son of Thomas J. Grace and Elizabeth Cary (Stone) Grace.

He attended high school at the former Sewanee Military Academy in Sewanee, Tennessee, and then attended the University of Alabama. He graduated from Alabama in 1957 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Very soon after he graduated, he was drafted and served from 1957 to 1959 in the United States Army and was stationed at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), where he was first introduced to rocketry.

Tom met the love of his life, Sue Anne Ferguson, on a blind date after she transferred to the University of Alabama. They married on August 25, 1956, and soon made the trip together to Las Cruces, New Mexico while he served at WSMR. Sue taught first grade in Las Cruces. After he was discharged from the Army, Tom took a position with Western Electric, which required them to move to Greensboro, North Carolina. While they were in Greensboro, their first two children, Cary (1959) and Rick (1961), were born. In January 1962, Tom was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime; a position with the then fledgling National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He was one of the first 300 employees hired by the agency and started his tenure at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Present day Johnson Space Center (JSC) didn’t yet exist! In June 1962, the family moved to Houston and Tom and his NASA co-workers officed in temporary locations while the first JSC (originally known as the Manned Spacecraft Center) buildings were being built. Son Culley was born in Houston in 1964. Later in 1964, Tom and Sue moved their young family into the new house they built in Friendswood, and their youngest son, Joel, was born in 1969.

During his 35-year career with NASA, Tom’s project management work meant he touched and influenced every manned program developed and executed by the agency, including Projects Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station. His titles and roles varied over the years, but Tom always said he enjoyed the role of “tire kicker” and hands-on design and engineering work. So, after he took a position at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC in 1988, he and Sue were ready to return to JSC two years later, so

that he could go back to tire kicking. He retired from NASA in early 1997 and went to work for Boeing for seven more years.

According to Tom, he had to work those extra years at Boing in order to pay for the wonderful trips Sue kept planning! They traveled extensively for many years, in Europe and Mexico especially. Also for many years, Tom and Sue greatly enjoyed hosting friends and family at their time share in Cancun, Mexico.

Tom was a life-long Episcopalian and was active in the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Friendswood from 1964 to his death, where more than once he served on the vestry and as junior and senior warden. His greatest legacies at Good Shepherd are Sterling Hall and the columbarium, for both of which he voluntarily managed the design and construction. It’s not surprising that he built his own resting place in the Good Shepherd columbarium.

Tom is survived by and will be forever missed by his wife of 66 years, Sue, his daughter Cary and her husband Rod Ellis, sons Rick, Culley, and Joel, and his grandchildren Donald (Deke) Grace, Shelby Grace, and Sara Grace. He was a doting papa. He is also survived by 13 nieces and nephews and their families.

Tom was incredibly loyal to the University of Alabama and especially the Crimson Tide football team. He also was a loyal Houston Astros fan. He was thrilled that the Astros won the World series this year, and he bought Astros memorabilia for his sons, who are also big fans.

Tom and Sue loved a good party, and plenty were thrown during the early, heady days at NASA. They rarely missed the annual Fourth of July, Christmas, and myriad other soirees hosted by old friends. They also hosted some great parties themselves. One dear friend once commented that Tom brought a warm presence to any gathering, and he most certainly did.

The Rev. Justin Briggle will lead a memorial service on Saturday, January 21, 2023, 11 AM at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 1207 W. Winding Way in Friendswood, with a reception and lunch following in Sterling Hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Tom’s memory to the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 1207 W. Winding Way Dr. Friendswood, Texas 77546, https://www.gshepherd.net/gsec/giving_options or The Wheelhouse, 210 W. Helgra, Deer Park, Texas 77536, https://www.thewheelhouse.org/donate .