THOMAS ROBERT MARSH

Thomas “Tommy” R. Marsh, 69, of Rockledge, FL passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2006. Tommy was preceded in death by his wife Janie.

He was a graduate of Huntsville High School and Auburn University. Upon graduating from Auburn, he began working for National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which later became NASA in 1958. During his career in the space program, he worked on the Redstone and Jupiter missions and later moved to Central Florida to take part in the Gemini, Saturn, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. During the Shuttle program, he was involved in the mechanical systems of the ET and SRBs and the mechanical systems of the Orbiter’s main engines. He retired in 1995 after 38 years of service with NASA.

He is survived by his daughters Tanya Marsh, Rockledge; Tracy Garrison of Kingwood, Texas; Jennifer Marsh of Cocoa Beach and son Thomas of Titusville; four grandchildren; mother Ruby Ellis, sister Peggy Hawkins, and brother Norman Marsh, all of Madison, Alabama.

Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, 1/19/06 at the Wylie Baxley Funeral home in Rockledge. Funeral services will also be held at the Wylie Baxley Funeral home at 1:30 p.m. Friday, 1/20/06, with Father Tom Gibson from St. Marks Episcopal Church officiating. The service will be followed by a Christian burial at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Merritt Island.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that donations be made to The Families of SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), Tampa Bay Center, P.O. Box 273136, Tampa, FL 33688. Arrangements by Wylie Baxley Funeral Home (636-2411).