Thomas Jay "Tj" Blue

Thomas Jay “TJ” Blue, 77, went to Heaven Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at Hospice Savannah in Savannah, GA.

Born on October 10, 1942 in Wyandotte, MI, TJ was the son of Kathleen Eileen Devlin Blue and Benjamin Jay Blue. He attended Dexter High School in Dexter, MI, received a BA from Eastern Michigan University, commissioned via US Army ROTC Program, and later earned an MBA from the University of Kansas.

TJ served 22 years in the US Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. His time of service included two tours of duty in Vietnam and four years stationed in Germany. He was an ROTC Instructor and Recruiting Battalion Commander, attended Army Command and General Staff College and Army War College.   From 1981-1984, he served in USAREUR Headquarters as Chief of REFORGER, an annual rapid reinforcement deployment, the largest military exercise in the European theater.

TJ received numerous military awards, including Legion of Merit with one Oakleaf Cluster, the Silver Star with one Oakleaf Cluster, and the Bronze Star with four Oakleaf Clusters and Valor Device. He retired from the US Army in 1988 and began a second career as Program Manager with GTE Government Systems. He retired from that in 2004. After retirement, TJ remained a loyal member of the US Army Cacti 35th Infantry Division Association and 5/7 Cavalry Association. He was also a member of the Sun City Hilton Head Veterans Association.

TJ is survived by his wife, Carol Phillips Blue of Bluffton; son, Joshua Jay Blue (Amy) of Quincy, MA; grandson, Sawyer Macmillan Blue; sisters, Patrice Heinz (David) of Petoskey, MI and Bonnie DeRouchie (David) of Philippi, WV; brother, Michael Meekins of McMinnville, TN; several nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in TJ’s memory to the 35th Infantry Division Cacti Association Scholarship Fund or Hospice Savannah Foundation.