Thomas Ferdinand Vreeland "Tom" Jardine, 90, of Little Silver, NJ, died Saturday September 12, 2009 at his home surrounded by his family.

He was born in Waverly, Staten Island on September 22, 1918. He spent most of his childhood years residing at 19 Alston Court in Red Bank, NJ and later in Rumson and Little Silver .He graduated from Red Bank High School as class valedictorian in 1937 and attended Dartmouth College where he received a BA degree on graduation in June 1941. Immediately upon graduation from Dartmouth , he reported to the US Naval Reserve Training Facility at Northwestern University in Chicago and received a commission in the Naval Reserve (Ensign) three months later.

After flight training in Long Beach ,California and on Corpus Christi, Texas in September 1942, Tom received a commission as a Naval Aviator assigned briefly as an instructor to aviation cadets at New Orleans and later Olathe, Kansas. He was later assigned to duty as a Pilot and Night Fighter Director on the USS Independence which operated in the Pacific with the 3rd fleet. Tom was active at Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the air strikes on Tokyo.

On December 23, 1942, he married Rita Jean Stackable of Fort Worth, Texas in New Orleans. At the conclusion of the War, he attended the University of Michigan Law School, and became a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association in 1948.

After law school, he returned to New Jersey to practice law, becoming a partner at the of Carey and Jardine in Newark , NJ and later his own firm Jardine & Pagano which subsequently moved to Springfield, New Jersey in 1969. After law school, he and his wife Rita resided in Rumson beginning in 1951 and in Little Silver since 2000. During his years in Rumson, he was a founding member and president of the Rumson Community Appeal. He served for several years on the Rumson Board of Adjustments and later as President of the Rumson Free Library (Oceanic Library). He was also instrumental in creating the Rumson-Fair haven Regional School District. A member of Navesink Country Club, Tom not only held the office of President from 1992-1993 but also at other times held offices of treasurer and vice president. He was a member of the Sea Bright Beach Club.

In addition to his contributions to the community, Tom also had hobbies. These include his membership in the New Jersey Aero Club since 1979, and his life-long fascination with amateur radio which he shared generously.

Tom was predeceased by his parents Viola and Tom Jardine; and two sisters Doris and Eleanor. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Rita Jardine his sons John and his wife Margaret of Rumson and Peter and his wife Ellen of Raleigh, NC; His daughters Suzanne and her husband John H Robinson of Denver ,Colorado and Jeannette Yorke and husband Tom of Rumson ; His grandchildren Brian Robinson and Sarah Robinson of Denver, Colorado; John, Jeffery and Thomas Jardine of Dallas, Texas, Omaha, Nebraska and Rumson, New Jersey respectively; Jillian and Kaitlin Jardine of Raleigh, North Carolina and Jacqueline, Jessica and Kristin Yorke of Rumson.