THOMAS R. DELUCA, ENS, USN

Thomas DeLuca '83

Date of birth: June 22, 1961

Date of death: November 14, 1984

Age: 23

Lucky Bag

From the 1983 Lucky Bag:

Thomas R. Deluca

West Islip, New York

Duke

Affectionately known as "Duke" by the boys, Tom was the big fish from the little pond of Islip. A terror on the basketball court and baseball field, Tommy had keen hand-eye coordination and a strong arm. He joined Duff's squad as a plebe and after two and a half years of heartache he finally saw the light. Duke then went to company sports where in ten years we expect to see him in the "Intramural Hall of Fame."

All that hand-eye coordination didn't go to waste though. During the summer of 82 Tommy's sharp eye caught a glimpse of a blonde haired, brown eyed beauty who promptly knocked him of his feet. From then on Tommy spent his long hours in the rack dreamin instead of talkin. You never saw much of Duke on the weekends, he was always on his way to see you know who in his silver Corvette. The Vette fit him well and he didn't let us forget it.

If you feel a cool breeze in the future, look up it will probably be Duke in his F-18.

Thomas R. Deluca

West Islip, New York

Duke

Affectionately known as "Duke" by the boys, Tom was the big fish from the little pond of Islip. A terror on the basketball court and baseball field, Tommy had keen hand-eye coordination and a strong arm. He joined Duff's squad as a plebe and after two and a half years of heartache he finally saw the light. Duke then went to company sports where in ten years we expect to see him in the "Intramural Hall of Fame."

All that hand-eye coordination didn't go to waste though. During the summer of 82 Tommy's sharp eye caught a glimpse of a blonde haired, brown eyed beauty who promptly knocked him of his feet. From then on Tommy spent his long hours in the rack dreamin instead of talkin. You never saw much of Duke on the weekends, he was always on his way to see you know who in his silver Corvette. The Vette fit him well and he didn't let us forget it.

If you feel a cool breeze in the future, look up it will probably be Duke in his F-18.

Loss

Thomas was lost on November 14, 1984 when the training aircraft he was piloting crashed about nine miles north of Chase Field, Texas. He was a student in Training Squadron (VT) 26.

Other Information

In high school he was reported to be 6' 3" tall and averaged 18 points per game.

From the March 1985 issue of Shipmate:

Ens. Thomas Robert DeLuca USN was killed in an aircraft accident on 14 November 1984 near Beeville, Texas. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on 19 November at the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Babylon, New York with interment in the St. Charles Cemetery.
Appointed to the Naval Academy from the State of New York, he was a member of the varsity baseball team as a Midshipman. As a high school athlete he had excelled in athletics at West Islip High School, and he had stood as number one in the flight training class which he had entered after graduation with the Naval Academy Class of 1983.
He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. DeLuca, Sr., 614 Myrtle Ave., West Islip NY 11795; a sister and two brothers.

He is buried in New York.