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Thomas Stephen Myslinski passed away in March 2013, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on March 16, 1934 in Passaic, NJ. After graduating from Freeport High School (New York) in June 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on October 15, 1951.
Mr. Myslinski's USAF career spanned 13 years with tours on Okinawa, Taiwan and mainland Japan. He left the USAF in July of 1965 as a Staff Sergeant who had performed as a Radio Operator, Production Specialist and AC&W Radar Repairman.
Joining the U.S. Army in August of 1965, Master Sergeant Myslinski retired in February of 1982 with 30 plus years of service with tours on Okinawa, Vietnam, mainland Japan and the Republic of the Philippines. He served as a Hawk Radar Repairman and a Counter-Intelligence Special Agent. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, National Defense Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal (5), Meritorious Unit Citation, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon (2).
As an avid Karate student, he achieved a 3rd degree black belt while residing in Japan. His love of baseball and teaching led to a coaching career spanning over 30 years while shaping the character of hundreds of high school students.
He is survived by his wife, Mutsuko Myslinski; sons, Joseph and Robert Myslinski; daughter, Helen Myslinski Ingham.
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Robert Myslinski (1982)
It's been several years since my father's passing and it still hurts to feel the emptiness of him not being around. As to his relationship with ZHS, all 3 of his children graduated from Zama. However, many of you will best remember him as the baseball coach from 1980 through the mid 2000s. In his first year, he took an undisciplined bunch of Sophmores (me included) and won only one game. By year three, he was coaching championship teams. Coach Myslinski was an avid student of the game and even developed relationships with the Tokyo Giants. He took us to professional games to show us that even the best players still practice fundamentals. (This was a big blow to a few of us "pretty boys" on the team who strived to look cool.) Nothing pleased him more than him sharing his knowledge with others. I know one of his most cherished memories was the opportunity to teach hundreds of impressionable young kids in the game he loved. He truly was a coach's coach and we are all so much better for being his students.