Thomas E. Yarbrough Jr.

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Thomas E. Yarbrough, Jr. was born in San Antonio, Texas on March 30, 1945 and died peacefully May 8, 2012 from complications of chemotherapy.

Tom was a 1963 graduate of Wiesbaden High School in Germany. He often mentioned that his time in Germany was one of the highlights of his life. Tom returned to the United States for college where he attended Texas Tech University and the University of Oklahoma.

One of Tom's many lifelong passions was aviation which influenced his career path. He worked at Texas International Airlines and United Space Alliance, where he retired after 23 years of service. His primary responsibility at USA was serving as computer technical support staff for the NASA shuttle program.

Tom was an accomplished private pilot and amateur Formula V race car driver. He loved Harley Davidson motorcycles and was a lifetime member the Sports Car Club of America.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Sr. and Margie Yarbrough.

He is survived by his wife, Merrilyn Riggen, of Spring; sister, Linda Yarbrough of Arlington; brother, Patrick Yarbrough and wife Susan of Mansfield; son, Sean Fullerton and wife Sharon of Tulsa, OK; step-son, David Irvin and wife Francine of Lubbock; step-daughter, Ginger Irvin of Irving; 4 grandchildren; 4 nephews; and extended family members, friends and colleagues.

A Memorial Service celebrating Tom's life followed by a reception will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 19, 2012, in the Miller Funeral Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Memorial Hermann Hospice, 920 Frostwood, Ste 700.4, Houston, Texas 77024 or the USO of Houston, Ellington Joint Reserve Base, 14657 Sneider St, Bldg 1056 Ste 109, Houston, Texas 77034, www.uso.org/donatehouston.