Obituary of Thomas John Cameron

Survived by his parents, John and Elizabeth "Bette" Cameron: brother, Alex Cameron: and grandmother, Alice Wagener. A Vigil will be held at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 11, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 7525 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd., Portland. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, March 12, at the church. Committal services with Coast Guard Military Honors will follow a reception at the church, at 3 p.m., River View Cemetery in Portland. Services entrusted to Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home. (503) 236-4141. Memorial contributions would be appreciated to www.coastguardfoundation.org/give or the Cleveland High School Foundation mailed to 3400 SE 26th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97202. LTjg Thomas John Cameron, a lifelong Oregonian at heart, was lost to us on February 28, 2012, along with three fellow crewmen aboard a Coast Guard rescue training flight over Mobile Bay. Thomas was the co-pilot aboard an MH-65D Dauphin helicopter that went down during a night mission over the Bay. Since early in his high school years, Thomas had wanted a career with a mission of service, and he felt totally fulfilled as a Coast Guard helo pilot. Fellow pilots recall seeing Thomas prepping with his crewmates for his last flight. He had a smile on his face as he was soon to complete flight training, then assume an operational pilot position at Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico. Thomas was born in Portland, Oregon, on April 9, 1987. He attended public schools in the City. At Cleveland High School, he succeeded in the school's International Baccalaureate program. He lettered in four sports and captained three teams (soccer, swimming and baseball). He was also vice president of his class for two years. He was accepted early in his senior year by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where he majored in Operations Research. He played varsity soccer for the Coast Guard all four years at the Academy. He was a team co-captain during his First Class year and also one of the top scorers. He also played catcher on the Academy baseball team during his final year there. Thomas was accepted into the Coast Guard flight training program directly out of the Academy. It was difficult not to be Thomas' friend. He was warm and outgoing, always concerned about the welfare of others. He had many, many friends at Cleveland High School and at the Academy. He took special pleasure in bringing the two groups together, often inviting high school friends to events at the Academy. Thomas was also dedicated to community service. While in primary flight training at NAS Whiting, he found spare time to tutor inmates at a nearby correctional facility. Thomas is survived by his parents, Elizabeth and John, of Portland and by his older brother, Alex, also of Portland. His other relatives include a grandmother, Alice Wagener of El Paso, Aunt Mary Wagener and Uncle Bernd Huber of Vienna, Austria, Cousin Martin Fritz Huber of New York, and Michigan relatives: uncles Jerry, James and Jeff Cameron, Aunt Anne Clark and cousins Patrick and Katie Clark. Tom's family is very proud of him and will miss him dearly. Service Information