Thomas Francis Killackey

Thomas Francis Killackey August 27, 1935 – May 9, 2026

Thomas Francis Killackey, 90, of Hoschton, GA, passed peacefully at home with Irene on May 9th, 2026, after a period of gradual decline.

Tom was born in New York City, to Thomas Fabian Killackey and Brigid Crotty Killackey, both originally of Ireland. He grew up alongside his older sister, Anne, and his younger sister, Lucy, in the close-knit neighborhoods of the Bronx, playing stickball in the streets, swimming, and occasionally rescuing small watercraft in the Long Island Sound.

A proud product of an Irish Catholic household, Tom attended Cardinal Hayes High School, where he excelled in mathematics and the sciences and pitched for the baseball team. His academic drive, athleticism, and a desire to serve and explore led him to study at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, ME, where he earned his Marine Engineering degree. His teammates nicknamed him "Old Man" on the mound, while his coursework took him around the world aboard Tall Ships, Naval Auxiliary vessels, cargo freighters, and former Liberty and Victory ships. Tom graduated in 1960 as a fully commissioned Naval reservist, a man who had learned to read the seas but had already found his true North Star.

After graduating from Maine Maritime in 1960, Tom began dating his sister Lucy's friend, Irene Suzanne Humbert. Though his pitching had drawn the attention of professional baseball, Tom chose love and life over the diamond. He and Irene married on September 15th, 1962, at St. Frances de Chantal Church in the Bronx, and soon settled in Newport News, VA, where Tom began a career at Newport News Shipbuilding that would span more than 30 years. From that day forward, Irene and their growing family were the fixed point by which he navigated everything, every decision, every sacrifice, every course correction made with them in mind.

At NNS, Tom specialized in the design and build of Nuclear Aircraft Carriers and Submarines, playing a pivotal role in delivering vessels still in service today. His innovative design for a carrier's nuclear reactor maintenance process earned recognition from the Secretary of the Navy.

Newport News was where Tom and Irene built their life, first in a modest home surrounded by horse pastures, then in their custom-built dream home in Shore Park. By every measure, Tom was a classic – just like the cars he loved - the quintessential father, the kind they simply don't make enough of. He was a playful, fun-loving dad who never missed an awards ceremony, a swim meet or a soccer game, his booming laugh and sideline passion woven into the fabric of the community.  He was also a founding member of St. Jerome Catholic Church, where he forged friendships that lasted a lifetime.

In later years, Tom and Irene moved to Hoschton, GA, to be closer to their adult children, and more recently resided at the Phoenix Independent Living Center in Braselton, GA. There Tom remained, to the end, the life of the party and a source of authentic kindness to everyone he met. He loved his dogs, Beau-Beau, Toby, Dexter, and Paris, and seemed most complete when he had someone to care for. His family is grateful that he and Irene were able to hold hands and enjoy life together for more than 63 years, guided, as always, by the same North Star.

Tom is survived by his sisters Anne Killackey Karas and Lucy Killackey Catera; his children Thomas (Karen), Laurie (Tom Buckley), Michael (Laura), and Kirsten (Michael Perla); and his grandchildren Sean, Michael (Dawson), Aidan, Dakota, Nick, Heather, and Brooke.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Brigid Killackey.

Services Funeral Mass: Wednesday, May 27th, 11:00 AM Prince of Peace Church, 6439 Spout Springs Rd, Flowery Branch, GA 30542

A Celebration of Life will follow from 12:00–2:00 PM at the church, with a procession thereafter to Memorial Park South Funeral Home and Cemetery, 4121 Falcon Parkway, Flowery Branch, GA, for a blessing of his remains.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. 

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." -- Thornton Wilder

Tom didn't need the extraordinary to feel the fullness of life, he found it in a booming laugh, a dog at his feet, a hand to hold. In that, he was rich beyond measure, and his life was very, very big.

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