Obituary of Dr. Thomas Bartlett McCord

Thomas "Tom" Bartlett McCord, 91, of Colorado Springs, passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 16, 2022, in Colorado Springs.Tom was born on August 11, 1930, to his parents, Lt. Col. James Alfred McCord, Jr. and Martha (Menees) McCord, in Cedar Hill, Tennessee. Tom was the eldest son. He was raised along with a younger brother, James Alfred McCord, III, and sister, Judith Stuart McCord (Rhoades).He is preceded in death by his parents and sister.The family relocated to Centerville, Tennessee, after he left high school. He graduated from Cedar Hill High School, where he played any sport involving a ball. He attended The University of Arizona on an athletic scholarship. It was later determined that he was considered a professional athlete after playing semi-pro baseball. His athletic scholarships were revoked, and he returned to his beloved state of Tennessee and the University of Tennessee, where he went on to earn a degree in education. He was president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at the University of Tennessee, and he was later inducted into the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter's Hall of Fame.After graduating from the University of Tennessee, he followed his father into the Army, where he became an Army Aviator. He was awarded his wings by his father, and the duo was noted as the first father-son pair to serve in the Army Air Corps. He served as an Army Aviator for four years with a stint in Germany. It was in Germany where he met and married Betty Bates, who was stationed in Germany as a physical therapist. The pair were married in Frankfurt, Germany, where Betty was a Captain and Tom a First Lieutenant.After leaving the Army, Tom and Betty returned to the University of Tennessee, where Tom earned a master's in education. It was in Knoxville where their first son, Andrew, was born and named after the then-president of the university, Dr. Andrew Holt.Tom then pursued a doctorate in education by first attending The University of Iowa, where their second son, Thomas Bates, was born. Tom's doctorate was completed approximately ten years later at the University of Denver while on sabbatical.Tom worked as an educator, coach, athletic director, and administrator for the Cheyenne Mountain School District. He coached numerous sports but primarily coached baseball. He was an assistant coach on Cheyenne Mountain's last State High School championship football team in 1963. He always considered himself an educator and was proud of his career. In Colorado Springs, his only daughter, Deborah, and youngest son, James, were born.After completing his time at Cheyenne Mountain, he became an administrator at Air Academy School District. He retired from education in 2002.He was past president and a longtime member of the Broadmoor Rotary Club. He was rightfully proud of his continuous attendance and contributions to the Rotary Club.He is survived by his loving wife of sixty-five years, Betty Bates McCord; sons, Andrew (Becky), Thomas, and James (Kristin); daughter, Deborah (Charles) Poskie; grandchildren, Trevor and Daniel McCord, and Layne and Ella Poskie.Memorial Service, 11:00AM, Saturday, July 16, 2022, Broadmoor Community Church, 315 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906. The service will be held outside in the Glen. Reception to follow.Memorial contributions in Tom's memory may be made to the Rotary International's Charitable Foundation through the Broadmoor Rotary Club. The Broadmoor Rotary Club address is P.O. Box 38572, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80937. Events Memorial Service Saturday, July 16, 2022 11:00AM Broadmoor Community Church 315 Lake Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Phone: 719-473-1807