Family, friends, and members of the NY Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing gathered in the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh last Friday, August 23 to commemorate the late Major General Thomas P. Maguire Jr., the former Adjutant General of New York who passed away on July 20 at 77 years old. Maguire, a decorated veteran who served 34 years in the US Air Force, went by many titles throughout his lifetime, from Forward Air Controller pilot and Wing Commander to loving husband and father.

The memorial opened at 10 a.m. with attendants gathering at the base, conversing with one another, and examining Maguire’s memorabilia. The 105th Airlift Wing conducted a flyover at 11 a.m., followed by a welcoming message from Tom, Maguire’s older son and Commander of the 105th Mission, and an opening prayer from Father Joseph LaMorte, Vicar General of Archdiocese of New York.

“This place has become a sacred place for our family, so it’s entirely appropriate that this is the meeting spot for this last public memorial, celebration, and goodbye,” Tom said. “This is a hybrid of a lot of stuff: it’s a wake, a celebration, and maybe a little bit of a roast.”

Maguire was born on June 8, 1947, in Mount Vernon, New York, and was the first child of the late Thomas Sr. and Florence Maguire. He graduated from The College of the Holy Cross in June 1969, receiving his US Air Force Regular Commission from the school’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program, and later earned his pilot wings from the Laredo Air Force Base in 1970. Maguire began his military career as a Forward Air Controller in 1971 during the Vietnam War, flying a Cessna O-2 Skymaster in over 250 combat missions for 12 months.

“This young, 23-year-old man with no pilot experience other than Air Force pilot training, was directing ordnance from aircraft moving far too fast to see the targets while protecting friendlies on the ground,” said Colonel Ryan Dannemann, commander of the 105th Airlift Wing. “Those missions set the stage for young Lieutenant Maguire to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross…he was awarded this medal three times that year and had 10 Air Medals to go with it. You could have walked past General Maguire a hundred times or even a thousand times and you would never have known he did such things.”

Following his missions in Vietnam, Maguire became a T-37 instructor pilot for the Laredo Air Force in 1972, then joined the NY Air Force National Guard two years later, serving the 137th Tactical Air Support Squadron in White Plains. In 1982, he managed the Air National Guard’s largest weapons system conversion after the 137th mission moved to the Stewart Air Reserved Training Center in Newburgh.

Throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, Maguire served various leadership roles for the 137th Airlift Squadron and 105th Military Airlift Group, eventually becoming Wing Commander for the latter, and he coordinated airlift support for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War.

“Part of being that relatable human leader is in his language and it’s being available, a trait that many leaders struggle with. Tommy always picked up the phone right away or called me into his office right away,” said Major General Timothy LaBarge, who previously commanded the NY National Air Guard before retiring. “He was available every single time and walked that fine line between being the towering paragon of virtuosic leadership and being a relatable, empathetic, humanistic leader. It was an art form to him.”

In 1967, Maguire married his wife Deborah, and the two expanded their family over the next few years with their three children: Lindsay, Tom, and Dan. During his time living in Walden, he was a member of the Most Precious Blood Church, the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, and the Hospice of Orange-Ulster. One of Maguire’s biggest priorities was his family, whether making time for his wife and children or setting a positive example for them.

“His love for our family was unparalleled. Our family has grown to include his six children, and he would want each of them to know how much he loved them all. I feel very blessed that my son Alexis was able to know him even for a short while,” said Lindsay, Maguire’s daughter, who provided a eulogy. “Through his words and actions, he taught love, hard work, and devotion. He exemplified how to show patience, understanding, and commitment.”

“Some of you may remember that my dad bought this little red, two-door Saturn Coupe. It was a sporty little car and it was a five-speed, and he enjoyed it. He didn’t have that car for very long and he got rid of it; he’d rather be with his family in a minivan than by himself in a little sports car,” said Dan, Maguire’s younger son. “Around that same time, he went on a golfing trip with some of the guys from the base. When he came back, he enjoyed himself but said ‘I’m never going back there because I want to be with my family.’ That’s who my dad was.”

Near the end of his career, Maguire became the Adjutant General of New York in August 2001, weeks before the September 11 terrorist attacks. Immediately following these attacks, he and members of the NY National Guard responded to Ground Zero in Manhattan, navigating the dust and debris to find survivors. Maguire also assisted soldiers and airmen with training and equipment during the War on Terror. After retiring, he spent his last 14 years with Deborah living in Sun City Center, Florida.

“He was a huge example for me of how to prioritize life: putting your family and friends first, focusing on the big rocks, and treating people nicely,” Tom said. “My biggest takeaway from him is that there’s no secret to success and leadership; it’s just treating people nicely and treating them how you want to be treated. Making sure that you remember people’s names and that when you’re talking to someone, you make them feel like they’re the only one in the room. He valued people’s feedback more than anybody that I’ve met.”

The 105th Airlift Wing concluded the memorial service with Taps and a flag-folding presentation, followed by a closing prayer from Father LaMorte, and finally a recording of the U.S. Air Force Song.