Thomas Rackley Obituary

Rackley
Col (Ret.) Thomas Gwinn
Rackley
January 12, 1949
October 5, 2025
Colonel Thomas Gwinn Rackley, United States Air Force (Ret.), passed away on October 5, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was 76.
Tom was born on January 12, 1949, in St. Louis, Missouri. A dedicated student and athlete, he graduated as the salutatorian of his high school class and was honored as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete his senior year. Tom attended the United States Air Force Academy, where he graduated Class of 1971. He entered active duty that same year and served nearly 29 years in the United States Air Force, retiring in 2000 with the rank of Colonel. A command and fighter pilot, he flew the F-4 Phantom II and F-16 Fighting Falcon and later commanded the 421st Fighter Squadron during the Gulf War era.
Following his military retirement, Tom worked in project management roles with Kiewit Construction Company and ECC, where he served as project manager for the Polaris Hall Center for Character and Leadership Development at the USAFA.
After meeting the love of his life, Christina D. Rackley (Elson), Tom became a devoted member of the church of Christ and served faithfully as a deacon and later as an elder in several congregations, including the Tri-Lakes Church of Christ.
Tom is survived by his beloved wife, Chris; his children, Heath E. Rackley and his wife Stefani D. Rackley, and Gretchen C. Stickney and her husband Roland J. Stickney III; and his cherished grandchildren, Grace E. Nesselrode, Lily C. Nesselrode, Mia D. Rackley, Savannah C. Rackley, and Ivy B. Rackley. He is also survived by his sisters, Karen Mueller and Virginia McCullough. He was preceded in death by his brothers Michael Rackley, Jerry Jones, and David Gray.
Burial will take place on May 1, 2026, in a private ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Tom's honor may be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation or Wounded Warrior Project.
Tom will be remembered as a devoted husband and father, a proud grandfather, a respected leader, and a faithful servant of God. His legacy lives on in the family he loved, the people he led, and the many lives he influenced along the way.