Thomas Richard Ahearn

Thomas Richard Ahearn

December 12, 1930 - March 17, 2020

Thomas (Tom) Richard Ahearn, long time resident of Atlanta, Georgia and most recently of Sierra Vista, Arizona, passed away peacefully at home on March 17, 2020.

Tom, the youngest son of Thomas Theodore and Rose Inez (Rowan) Ahearn, was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania on December 12, 1930. He graduated from Altoona Catholic High School in 1949 and Penn State University in 1954. He served in the Air Force as a Tactical Photo Interpreter Officer at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas and Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. While serving in Texas Tom met his future wife (Maria) Alicia Isaza Pelaez; they married in her hometown of Medellin, Colombia on 18 August 1956.

While continuing to serve in the Air Force Reserve he earned his Master of Education from the University of Texas in San Antonio, TX in 1962 and a PhD in Education from the University of Georgia in Athens, GA in 1968. Dr. Ahearn spent his career in education and guidance counseling. He retired as the Director of Counseling from Georgia State University (DeKalb) Perimeter College in 1988.

In their retirement years Tom and Alicia were active members of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Stone Mountain, GA, dedicated volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, and traveled regularly to visit family and friends around the world. Their other hobbies included Square Dancing with the Circle Eight Club in Decatur, genealogy research, computers and reading. Dad loved talking to people and finding out their life stories. He shared many times that he was a very lucky man; he believed if you treated people well then they were also fair with you.

Tom was survived by his two sons Kevin of Seattle, WA and Patrick of Woodstock, GA; three daughters, Eileen (RWade Barfield) of Gleeson, AZ, Kathleen (David Barlow) of Coventry, VT, and Marguerite (Jerry Bevers) of Elgin, AZ; and two granddaughters, Chastain Barber and Alison Barlow.

Tom was predeceased by his older brother Charles Rowan Ahearn in 2003 and his wife Alicia in 2010.

A funeral Mass will be at St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Sierra Vista on Friday, July 31 at 11:30. Celebrant will be Father Gregory Adolf. Interment will be on Tuesday, 18 August 2020 at 11:00 at Arlington Memorial Park in Atlanta, GA.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Thomas Richard Ahearn, please visit our floral store.