Thomas Alan McInturff Obituary
It was a sunny, warm day in Baytown, TX when, on May 19th, 2023, the Houston Astros lost their biggest fan.
Thomas Alan McInturff was born on July 5, 1952, in Swindon, England to Donovan and Delia McInturff. He passed away peacefully at his home in Baytown, TX on the morning of May 19th, 2023.
Tom's 70 years of life was a journey that crossed the globe. He began his adult life marrying his greatest love, Mindy Sue Slagle, on July 18, 1970, less than 2 weeks after turning 18 years old. Mindy and Tom welcomed their daughter, Yvonne, in 1971. In 1972, at the age of 20, Tom joined the Air Force. From there, his family grew quickly. Tom and Mindy welcomed their son, Donovan, in 1974 and daughter, Jennifer, in 1975. The young parents worked and lived in San Antonio, TX before his military service introduced opportunities to travel the globe.
As a Civil Engineer in Water Quality, and a member of the Red Horse and Prime BEEF teams, Tom served for 3 years at Torrejon AFB, Spain beginning in 1980. It was during this time that he was able to see the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, something he always hoped to experience again. Following his tour in Spain, Tom and his family moved stateside, stationed at Offutt AFB, Nebraska followed by a brief tour in Alaska. In 1986, Tom was stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. He always spoke fondly of the 3 years he and his family spent in Hawaii, identifying it as a very happy place and time in his life. After Hawaii, Tom took his family to Grissom AFB, Indiana, where he was stationed for 4 years. In 1993, his military service once again called him across the pond where he served at Ramstein AFB, Germany for three years. When he returned to the United States after this tour, he was stationed at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. It was here where, after 26 years of service, Tom made the decision to retire from the United States Air Force in 1998. He and Mindy returned to Baytown, TX to be closer to family.
Tom was a dedicated husband, father, airman, and colleague. If he promised to do something, he would make certain to get it done. The only thing he seemed to fear was for his loved ones not to be well cared for. Following his retirement from the service, Tom began his employment with Coastal Water Authority. He retired from CWA in 2022, always committed to doing the best job he could and being a strong support to his coworkers. As much as he enjoyed the work he did with CWA, his family always thought he missed his calling in Information Technologies, what with all the computers, computer parts and components he collected through the years. The family welcomes anyone with similar interests to take his collection for their own, they would just ask that you haul it yourself. They recommend renting an extra-large U-Haul for the task.
Even for all his years of service and employment, Tom made a point to maintain a life of leisure. He was an avid gamer, having owned numerous video game consoles and games throughout his life. Like his father before him, he enjoyed playing cards and board games with friends and family and always made sure that everyone played by the rules. Like his mother, he loved fishing. It may not be a surprise to those who knew him well that he was an avid gun collector, but they might be surprised to learn that he was also a collector of Barbie dolls - "for the grandkids" he would say, though he always kept them for himself. With all of this, though, one of his greatest passions was for baseball. Tom was a die-hard Houston Astros fan to the very end. On days where there were no games played, he would rewatch previous games as if it were the first time. Like any true fan, he celebrated every win and criticized every loss. Our hearts go out to the Astros as they mourn their loss.
Tom is survived by his family, who will cherish their memories of this wonderful man who, all at once, was a beloved Son, Brother, Husband, Father and Opa. Wife- Mindy Sue McInturff; Children – Yvonne (Charles) Fenoglio, Donovan (Melissa) McInturff II, Jennifer (William) Garrick; Sister – Diane (Daniel) Jinsky; Brother – James (Beth) McInturff; Sister-In-Law – Holly Bentz; Grandchildren –Emily Fenoglio, Charles Fenoglio, Tyler McInturff, Josh (Asuka) McAtee, Jessica Gladden, Jillian McInturff, Rayne Weeks, Ava Garrick, Olivia Garrick; Great grandchildren – Bernard Turko III, Jacob Nagle, Jaxon Nagle, Lilly McAtee; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his Father – Donovan Alfred McInturff, Mother – Delia Cartwright, Father-In-Law – Edward Slagle and Mother-In-Law – Yvonne Slagle.
A memorial service will be held at 10 am, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Navarre Funeral Home, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr., Baytown, Texas 77521.
The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Vitas Community Connection, who provided loving care and support to Tom and his family when they needed it most.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Vitas – Houston in Memory of Thomas McInturff: https://vitascommunityconnection.org Click on Make A Donation Box and then click on In Memory Box and then type his name in box below In Memory Box.
