Thomas M. Tigue (August 24, 1945 – February 1, 2016) was a United States Marine Corps Officer and combat veteran, an American politician, a Democratic member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

Early life

Thomas Michael Tigue was born in

Hughestown, Pennsylvania Hughestown is a borough in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,326 at the 2020 census. History In 1934, the right arm of Hughestown resident Harry Tompkins was crushed by an Erie Railroad ...

, to Michael F. Tigue and his wife. He graduated from St. John's the Evangelist High School in 1964. He earned a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in government from King's College in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...

, in 1968.

Career

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, earning a

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

. He served 27 years in the

Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned p ...

. He has pursued graduate studies at

Marywood University Marywood University is a private Catholic university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Established in 1915 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Marywood currently enrolls more than 2,800 students in a variety of undergraduate, grad ...

. He was a Legislative Fellow at

East Stroudsburg University East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) is a public university in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of ten state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). History What today is East S ...

and a member of the Pittston Area School Board. He was first elected to represent the 118th legislative district in the

in 1980. During his tenure, Tigue served as the Democratic chair of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, where he was instrumental in establishing the Military Family Relief Assistance Program, a program providing financial assistance to eligible Pennsylvania service members and their family members who are financially impacted by military service. He also co-sponsored of legislation giving the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

the authority to call members of the

Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 per ...

to state active duty in the event of emergencies in other states. He retired prior to the 2006 elections, working to help Michael B. Carroll succeed him. In December 2006, he became Managing Director of the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council. In July 2007, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Hall of Fame. In 2007, Tigue sought an appointment to the Luzerne County Commission to replace Todd Vonderheid, who decided to step down. A panel of nine judges from the Court of Common Pleas were responsible for the appointment. However, Tigue was defeated by former commissioner Rose Tucker 5–4.

Personal life

Tigue married Dianne Marie Walsh, of Hughestown, on September 14, 1968. She died in 2015. Together, they had four children: Thomas, Tracy, Kristin, and Colleen.

Death

Tigue died on February 1, 2016, from Stage IV

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

U.S. decorations and badges

References

External links

* official PA House website * official Party website {{DEFAULTSORT:Tigue, Thomas 1945 births 2016 deaths People from Pittston, Pennsylvania School board members in Pennsylvania Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Recipients of the Silver Star King's College (Pennsylvania) alumni Marywood University alumni East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania alumni