Thomas DeLoyd Damon

Thomas “Tom” DeLoyd Damon, 91, of Colorado Springs passed peacefully on January 30, 2022, surrounded by family. He was born to parents James and Josephine Damon on April 28, 1930 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and grew up with siblings James and Sue.

Tom married the love of his life, Anita in April 1952. Later that year he graduated from Oshkosh State College and joined the United States Air Force focusing on meteorology and space weather. He earned his master’s degree in Meteorology in August 1965 from the University of Wisconsin. His final station for the Air Force was in NORAD near Colorado Springs, one of his favorite locations, and he retired from the Air Force with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1978. He began his second career as a college professor at Pikes Peak Community College teaching many subjects including physics, computer science, geology, astronomy, astronautics and space science for which he wrote the textbook entitled “Introduction to Space: The Science of Spaceflight” which has been published in four editions. He retired for good in May 1997 and remained in Colorado Springs. He spent most of his summers at his favorite place which was the cabin in the Colorado Rockies that he designed and constructed with family.

Tom had a passion for photography from a young age and captured thousands of images from his adventures around the world often with his family in tow. He eventually visited all 7 continents and had even flown over the North Pole. He was the president of the Pikes Peak Camera club in 1978 and joined a gallery in Woodland Park, Colorado to sell some of his work during retirement. He enjoyed telling the story of how he was born during an eclipse and finally got to see a total solar eclipse in August 2017 from the mountains of Idaho. It was spectacular and he has many photographs of it. He always wanted to see humans on Mars and dedicated his book to his grandsons - “To James, Jacob and Maxx . . . may they one day walk on Mars.”

His passing is preceded by his father James Paul Damon, mother Josephine Elizabeth Damon, brother James Edward Damon and sister Sue Carol Dichtl. He is survived by wife Anita of 69 years, sons Thomas Damon, Timothy Damon, daughters Theresa Damon, Tammy Saxton, Christina Damon, grandsons James (Stephanie) Saxton, Jacob Saxton, Petty Officer Second Class Maxwell (Jenna) Damon, great grandchildren Tyler, Jayden and Liana Saxton.

The family extends a special thank you to the amazing staff at Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care in Colorado Springs for their loving care and support during his final days.

Tom's Catholic faith was always important to him. He served the noon Mass at St. Mary's Church in Oshkosh, WI, until he was married and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. With a family devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, it is a blessing that he will be laid to rest on her feast day.

Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N Michigan Ave. Floor 17, Chicago, IL, 60601. https://www.alz.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Swan-Law.com for the Damon family.