Gerald T. McCarthy, 91, of Vienna, VA, passed away on November 21, 2022, after a valiant battle with cancer. Tom was born on April 4, 1931, in Hornell to the late Gerald and Thelma (Thomas) McCarthy. In 1956 he married Shirley E. MacPherson of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, who passed in 2009. He was a 1949 graduate of Hornell High School and attended Purdue University. From there, he was accepted into pilot training for the USAF and received his wings in 1954. He served all over the US, Canada, Germany, and Vietnam, where he flew over 300 combat missions. Tom retired from the Air Force in 1972 out of Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY. He then joined the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as an investigator in charge, which took him, once again, all over the world managing major aircraft accident investigations. He took pride in many of his recommendations that led to improvements in aviation safety. In 1985, he was asked by the National Air and Space Administration to transfer to them and rejuvenate their Aviation Safety Program. He retired from NASA in 1997 as the Director of the Aircraft Management office. Tom was a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI), starting in 1981 and served as treasurer from 1996-2012. He was awarded the Jerome F. Lederer Award from ISASI in 2007, in recognition of his lifetime contributions to air safety. In his spare time, he was a volunteer senior docent at the National Air and Space Museum at Udvar-Hazy in Virginia. He was living the dream, surrounded by iconic aircraft, and talking about them with people that shared his passion. Tom is survived by his daughters, Colleen (Jeff) Tarkett of Longmont, CO and Kelley McCarthy of Avondale, AZ and daughter-in-law Sheila (Karls) McCarthy of Peoria, AZ. His grandchildren Charlotte (Charlie) Garcia of Tucson, AZ, Kady (Jeff) Dwyer of Surprise, AZ, Robert (Morgan) Dutton of Colorado Springs, CO, Logan McCarthy of Peoria, AZ, Colton McCarthy of Peoria, AZ and Conor McCarthy of Avondale, AZ. Great Grandchildren, Fox, Alice and Diana Garcia, Jayla, Jack and Jace Dwyer, Blakely and Evelynn Dutton, and Cambrie McCarthy. He is also survived by his sister Michelle Lewis of Hornell, NY and numerous, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his beloved son Thomas McCarthy in June of 2022, his sister Thelma Pelych, sister Rosemary Tuttle and brother Robert McCarthy. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on July 31, 2024 at 1300 Tom was the consummate Irish American, never met a stranger, eloquent, funny, and kind. He is once again, where he was happiest, among the “sun-split clouds” and has “touched the face of God.”