Funeral services for Ira Thomas Taylor, Sr., 91, of Ruston, LA will be held Friday, July 29, 2016 at 10 AM at the Chapel of Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston. Rev. Bob Deich will officiate. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Ruston.Ira Thomas (Tom) Taylor (Lt. Col, Ret., USAF) died Monday, July 25, 2016, in Ruston, LA at the age of 91 after battling cancer.He was born in Cisco, TX on July 17, 1925 to Ira Mae and John Thomas Taylor and spent his early years in and around the Cisco area.After graduating from high school in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, trained as a navigator in B-24 Liberators and received a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. Stationed in New Guinea, he flew combat missions in the 5th Air Force, 90th Bomb Group, 319th Squadron until the war ended in 1945. After the war he remained in the Army (later U.S. Air Force) reserves, obtained his private flying license and graduated from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX with a bachelor degree in Marketing. In 1950, Tom was recalled to active service by the U.S. Air Force for the Korean War and flew over 50 combat missions as a 1st Lieutenant navigator/bombardier in B-26 Invaders. After the Korean War, he went through pilot training and became a flight instructor in the T-33 Shooting Star jet trainers and was promoted to the rank of Captain. It was during this time that he met and subsequently married Lydia Louise Roane, daughter of Louise Yawn and Union Sanders Roane, on March 17, 1955. After several years as a flight instructor he enrolled and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1966 with a second degree in Civil Engineering and was promoted to the rank of Major. During this first 11 years of marriage, five children were born to Tom and Lydia. In November of 1966, he was deployed to Vietnam as a Civil Engineer and was stationed at Ben Hoi Air Force Base. During this time he was promoted to Lt. Colonel. After returning from Viet Nam, the U.S. Air Force sent Tom and his family to Kansas and Izmir, Turkey. He retired from active service in 1971 after 28 years and settled in Ruston, LA. Tom worked for several engineering firms throughout the 1970s and 1980s in Alexandria, Ruston and Monroe, LA, retiring in 1990. Tom and Lydia also put all five children through college at Louisiana Tech.Throughout his life, starting as a child, Tom had a love for building flying model airplanes. He shared passion for model building with his children and enjoyed his hobby well into retirement to within a few months of his passing.During Tom final 6 years, Tiffany Coleman was his helper who saw to his daily needs and was his close friend.Tom was preceded in death by his mother, father, wife Lydia and granddaughter Sarah Katherine. He is survived by his five children and their spouses; Tom, wife Nanci, Mark, wife Kimberly, John, wife Michele, Greg, wife Susan, and Blythe, husband Billy, and grandchildren; Ira, Tommy, Grace, John, Lauren, Austin and wife Yanessa, Landon, Maggie, Benjamin, Daniel, Taylor, Trey and Jake. Visitation will be Thursday, July 28, 2016 from 5~7 PM at Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston.Online condolences may be made to the family @ www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com.