Thomas M. “Mack” Myrick
Jul 05, 1961Jul 05, 1961
Visitation
Location
Affinity Funeral Service
Date
Thu, December 20, 2018
Time
5:30 PM
Funeral Service
Location
Affinity Funeral Service
Date
Thu, December 20, 2018
Time
7:30 PM
Obituary message
MYRICK, THOMAS M., 57 of Goochland County. Our beloved and brilliant Thomas M. “Mack” Myrick, passed away on December 17, 2018 in his perfect place of peace and solace, his home, with his beloved wife Karron and children Brandon and Rachel. An unexpected exit from a life well-lived; his family, his friends, his colleagues, and his community are left to find a way to carry on as he did with focus, perseverance and remarkable resilience. A 1984 graduate of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Tom was an accomplished mechanical engineer with a number of inventions which contribute to NASA’s study of Mars. Of note is flight hardware that was mounted on two NASA rovers — Spirit and Opportunity – that in the winter of 2004 landed on Mars. Tom was a gentle soul with a fierce intellect which drove his projects and his peers to always be better. Survivors include his wife Karron L. Myrick; two children, Brandon R. and Rachel K. Myrick; mother Betty Myrick; two sisters, Marion Raines Myrick (Fred Bradford) and Margaret Alison Grow; niece Laura Grow, nephew Evan Bradford. He was predeceased by his father; John Raines Myrick. The family will receive friends from 5:30 to 7:30 pm Thursday, December 20th at Affinity Funeral Service, 2720 Enterprise Parkway, Richmond, VA. 23294. A prayer service and time of story-sharing to follow at 7:30 pm at the funeral home chapel. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Raptor Trust or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
So very sorry for your loss. God bless you and I will keep you in my prayers..
So very sorry for your loss. Our prayers are with you and your family. Tom was an inspiration to all of us. His inquisitive and adventurous soul will be missed.
Our deepest condolences on your loss. Tom was more than a good friend, more like a brother over the years. We shared many adventures over the years that will always be remembered. You all will be in our prayers.
Karron, I’m so very sorry to hear about Tom, what a huge loss for your family and the world!!! Sending you giant hugs – know you are in my thoughts!!! If there is anything I can do, I’m happy to help!!
My sincerest condolences to Toms family. Though I had not seen him in many years I have wonderful fond memories of our time as children together. My prayers go out to all who knew him.
I am so very sorry for your loss. May precious memories of your time together comfort you during this difficult time.
We just heard and are just devastated for you all. He was always so kind the few times i saw him at the Maggie Walker volleyball games. Thinking of you all with heavy heart.
Dear Karron, Rachel, and Brandon, We are devastated tonight after hearing of your great loss. Know that we grieve with you and we are praying for comfort and peace for you all. With love and deepest sympathy, Virginia, Drew, Ginny, and Ridgway
I’m so sorry to hear this. My prayers are for u and your family. I will miss Mr. Myrick coming into the drug store and hearing his many stories he would tell us. Mr Myrick was a great person and he will be greatly missed. I’m glad to call him my friend.
I’m deeply saddened to hear about Tom’s passing, and my sincere condolences go out to his family in their time of sorrow.
Though it’s been years since I saw him, I have many great memories of Tom. We were friends in grade school, high school and for a while both went to NJIT together. I regret not having kept up communications more than just Christmas cards each year.
I have many memories of going to the Myrick house on Rose Avenue after school, where Tom and I were planning on making a science fiction movie, and were building a “drone” together. Tom did all the actual mechanical fabricating, and it seemed almost every time I came over his house he had thought up and built a new and better way of making one of the drone’s mechanical parts.
It’s great to think that his inventions went from his childhood projects to a career in mechanical engineering. And it’s a tribute to his genius that his creations made it all the way to Mars!
With remembrance, sympathy, and sadness, -Ed
This sad news just came to me from a colleague. I had the honor or working with Tom at Honeybee Robotics. There were a lot of smart folks working at Honeybee Robotics but Tom was so brilliant he was the chief engineer of the company. When the engineering problems got real tough, Tom got going and his imagination and hard work consistently pull rabbits out of a hat. Tom was funny and a pleasure to be around. I was lucky to meet his lovely wife and hold his first born in my arms. My condolences to Tom’s loved ones, 57 is way too young.
I’m very sorry to hear about Tom’s passing. My condolences. He was my mentor and he taught me more than anyone about mechanical design. He had some great ideas and was one of the most passionate people I met when it came to design and “The build”. Inspiring. He will be missed.
I’ve just heard about Tom’s passing from one of my colleagues and friends from the original Honeybee. Tom was one of the few engineers I’ve met and had the honor to work with, that really inspired me and taught me many of the engineering skills guiding my career to where I am today. His analytical approach and his detailed solutions to the variety of problems we were confronted with back in the days were equally unique as they were brilliant. Condolences to the family, with deepest respect…
I’m saddened to learn about Tom Myrick demise. My condolences to his wife Karron, kids, and all family. He always will live in my memories.
HR coworker, Yuri Tushinsky.
I’m deeply saddened to hear of Tom’s passing. My deepest condolences to Tom’s family for your loss.
I just heard about Tom’s passing from one of my colleagues from Honeybee Robotics. I worked with and alongside Tom for several years at Honeybee. He was one of the first of very few coworkers that I’ve really looked up to, admired, and considered a mentor as well as a friend. He taught me so much about Mechanical Design, as well as how to pay attention to details, and focus on what matters. I admired him greatly. I admired his inventive mind, his passion, and his sense of humor.
Goodbye, dear friend. Safe Winds, and Following Seas.
Sincerely,
Tom was one of the most intelligent, inventive and outspoken people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The world needs more people like Tom Myrick, not less.
To My Friend, Departed
It’s times like these
When we stop
To ponder
That a life
From the moment
Of birth
Is bound to this earth
Tenuously, transitorily
Timely
And may be snatched
Taken, cut-off
As easily and quickly as
An umbilical cord
Being severed.
What then remains
But memories of
Your being, presence
Among us
Your gifts
As teacher, mentor
As a hands-on engineer
As some of us
Aspired to be
A man who could see
Mechanisms in 3D space
Long before
We could design in such
With the amazing ability
To perceive
That something
Was a few mils off
Even on a computer screen.
You were a unique inspiration
To many
And whatever the project
And its complexity
With you onboard
There was always
Confidence
That we’ll be successful.
Intertwined among these
Was your sense
Of humor
Observational, physical
And always so damn
Entertaining.
How could we forget
Some of your
(Now likely considered)
Politically incorrect
Jokes
Your intonations of
“Who did it?”
“What we have here
is failure
to communicate…”
And your “Chop! Chop!” exhortations
To finish some design.
Your over-the-top
Mimicking
Of the “evasion dance”
Of some clueless clown.
Your special reading
Of “The Night Before Christmas”
A treat, at year end parties.
Indelible, as all of these are
The true legacy
Of your incredible life
Will always
As it should be
Be a summation of the two lives
You helped to create
And the generations to which
They will surely pass on
A blessed life
To live as you did
Except, as parents
We expect more
Much more
To achieve and exceed
All the good
That was with you!
By now
I’d like to believe
That your soul
Has visited, seen
The boundaries
Of our universe
And have unraveled
Its mysteries
As no living man can.
God knows
We, the two of us
Have tried.
Your first stop
I expect
Must have been Mars
To visit your other-worldly
Creations.
I’m sure this thrilled you
To no end.
You probably immediately
Thought
Of ways to make
The grinding wheels
Even better
And how to save
A few extra grams
Of mass!
But I hope you took
Some time
To contemplate that
Right there
Was the realization
Of your boyhood promise.
So, my dear friend
I say, rest in peace
And au revoir
Because we will
Meet again.
Though I only worked with Tom a short time, I’ve been impacted by his fire, determination, and ingenuity. This is true of many I’m sure. So sad to see him pass so soon.
For so many years, Tom was the technical backbone of Honeybee, a vital force of the company. We lived and died back then by our collective capacities to innovate and turn on a dime, and it was usually Tom leading the way forward. His passion, resolve and humor made it all more than worth while.
I’m sorry to be so late in adding my tribute to Tom, and offer my sincere condolences to Karron, his family, and his many friends.