LTC Thomas R. Rozman
On Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Thomas Robert Rozman slipped peacefully away to his eternal rest. By his side were his beloved wife of 55 years, Joy, and his three children, Doug, Bryan and Melissa, a testament to the deep ties of love and affection that bind his family together.
As a man, it is hard to describe in words, the dedication and integrity with which Tom approached all things. Whether he was acting as the family custodian of knowledge and all things historical, traveling the world with his wife, Joy, joyously reveling in the company of friends or family, or acting as an unwavering foundation of support and stability for those who needed him. He was dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and greatly valued the importance of education; one rarely found him without a book in his hands. His example lives on inside every member of a large, extended family, an army of friends, colleagues and classmates who were drawn to his wit, strength of character and humanity. He enjoyed life to the fullest and cherished every moment.
Tom was born to parents LTC Robert W. Rozman and Candide Giselle Boucher in Hartford, Connecticut on December 10, 1946. He was an active, playful child who would grow into an athletic young man, playing varsity sports in High School and College. As an Army brat, he cherished the military life into which he was born. He was heavily influenced by the deep military roots of his family members and by his time living in post-World War II Germany for 10 years where his father had several tours including Schweinfurt, Nuremberg, and Kaiserslautern (K-Town), where he graduated from high school in 1965.
He continued the family tradition of military service to the country he loved by attending the United States Military Academy at West Point after a one-year stint at University of Connecticut. Once commissioned as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer in 1970, his West Point experience would loom large throughout his life as he lived both by its motto of “Duty, Honor, Country,” and that of his 1970 class: “Serve with Integrity.”
While at West Point, he met and later married Joy Kathleen Hogan of New Britain, Connecticut, sparking a love affair of remarkable closeness and dedication that would sustain him the rest of his life. He never missed an opportunity to celebrate and emphasize the importance of family. He remained steadfast in his devotion to his own family in addition to the greater extended family, a family rich with history and stories that he brought to life for all. He was so proud of the generations that came before him and worked tirelessly to keep their memory alive.
Tom’s decorated military service to the nation included roles of increasing scope and responsibility lasting 22 years, spanning three continents, and transforming the lives of thousands of soldiers due to his leadership and courage. Among many other decorations awarded, he received the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medals, and the Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. He also earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst while serving as a professor of military science with the university’s ROTC detachment.
His service career found him at stations in Texas, Korea, Georgia, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Germany and Virginia. At these locations he served as a platoon leader, company executive officer, company commander, university instructor (ROTC), battalion executive officer and acting commander, and battalion, brigade and division level operations officer. Additionally, he served at Department of the Army with the Armored Family of Vehicles Task Force, an organization charged with the herculean task of examining in 1986 how the Army should modify its armored force by incorporating new technology 1995 and beyond. Tom completed his Army career as the Director, Collective Training Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Training, Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia.
The specific areas of experience captured in all of these assignments in addition to operations with armored combat forces, included all aspects of human resource management, health safety officer, logistics and administrative management, vehicle fleet operations and maintenance, air operations planning and execution, medical evacuation operations, course development, student counseling, capital program management, training and development, program analysis, technology base review, budget development and execution, facilities management and magisterial duties to include administrative law and grand jury responsibilities.
After retiring from the Army at Ft. Monroe, Virginia in 1992, he moved on to a rewarding career with the Commonwealth of Virginia as a state parks manager for the Department of Conservation & Recreation and as a capital outlay operations manager. He later transitioned to the Department of Labor & Industry as central region director. His dedication to service continued there until his retirement in 2016 leaving behind a legacy of innovation and accomplishment, along with lifelong friends and colleagues.
An avid military historian and writer, he published an extensive series of articles in military journals at home and abroad. His insights were key to the development of military capability, leadership development, and the discipline of military history. Many of these were republished, cited in the Congressional Record, and used in higher-education. His love of reading and learning would lead him to collecting an impressive library of military arts and sciences, specializing in 18th and 19th century Prussia.
In retirement, he developed an extensive interest in genealogy, creating a body of work that traces his extended families through almost 600 years of immigration, military and public service, uncovering astonishing similarities to his own life which he shared in thoughtful and meaningful ways with his family and friends. Tom was immensely proud of his Polish heritage and the Rozmyslowicz family name, which originated in Bialystok, Poland. He had a keen interest in other people’s heritage and origin, and enjoyed conversing about it with family, friends and strangers alike.
Traveling extensively with his wife Joy, he visited over 60 countries on every continent. He lived for sharing those experiences through photography, a love he shared with his father. He spent many memorable family visits in Vienna, Austria, the home of his brother-in-law, Monsignor Dr. Larry Hogan, whom he greatly respected, enjoying the local culture and Austrian wines.
In recent years, he reconnected with many West Point classmates through weekly zoom calls hosted by the class president, and close friend Sully. He cherished the banter and camaraderie in these sessions which were a source of pride and joy.
His legacy leaves an unforgettable impact on his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, his extended family, as well as on the hearts and minds of everyone with whom he interacted. He is survived by his wife Joy, sons Doug and Bryan, daughter Melissa, their spouses Anh, Maria and Joe, along with six grandchildren Raquel, Emma, Karl, Noella, Daniela and Stella, two great grandchildren Mateo and Alejandro, his sister Elaine, brother Rick, and Roxy, his Yorkshire Terrier.
Please join our family in the final, slow salute to a great and very good man who set the highest standard for serving our nation with integrity and dedicated every moment to his family and the importance of legacy. We will miss you Tom, Dad, Abuelo, Poppy. Your boyish smile, sense of humor, and joyful laugh will live in our hearts forever. You are so loved and were taken too soon. Arrangements are currently being made for interment with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask for contributions to the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) Class Gift Funds, in the name of Thomas Rozman, class of 1970.
Donation Instructions: Paste this link in your browser: https://alumni.westpointaog.org/giveonline.
In the Gift Details box, choose Class Gift Funds from the “I want to support…” dropdown menu. Next, select Class of 1970 Gift Fund from the dropdown menu that follows. Then enter your gift amount and gift type, e.g., one-time, recurring, etc. In the Additional Information box that follows, choose This Gift is in Honor/Memory of, then select “In memory of…” and enter Thomas Rozman, and his class year 1970. The rest of the form is self-explanatory.