Thomas Needham

In memory of Tom and his love of the ocean, please wear casual, bright colors to his funeral.  Funeral is Saturday, September 6, 2025, at Patriots Chapel at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 4471 Lincoln Avenue, Cypress, California, at 11:30 am.   Immediately after the funeral, please join us as we host "pizza night" at our condo clubhouse in Huntington Beach, 711 Ocean Avenue (PCH), Huntington Beach.

Thomas Edward Needham was born on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1931, and passed away on August 13, 2025, in Newport Beach, California, at the age of 94. He was born in Harrisburg, Arkansas to Harry and Margie (Clampit) Needham and spent his early years playing with his younger sister, Dorothy Sue. The family lived together in a boisterous household along with his maternal grandmother, Minnie (Williams) Clampit Fewell, and his Aunt Bobbye and Uncle Brad, who were more like siblings in age to him than aunt and uncle. Tom went to elementary school in Cherry Valley and then played football and basketball at Jonesboro High School. He decided to forego his senior year of school and joined the U.S. Navy at age 17. Tom later earned his high school diploma while serving in the South Pacific during the Korean War. His Navy travels took him to Japan, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Alaska. After being discharged from the Navy at the end of the Korean War in 1953, he came to California to continue his education at Loyola University in Los Angeles where he earned a degree in aerospace engineering.

Tom’s career in aerospace led him to Huntsville, Alabama, to work on missile development with a group of military specialists from the German Air Force. While working in Huntsville, he met the love of his life, Baerbel Casper, daughter of Lt. Col. Heinz and Anneliese Casper of Berlin, Germany. After a whirlwind courtship, Tom and Baerbel (later Barbara) were married on August 4, 1959, in the chapel at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. They lived the first few months of their married life in Huntsville. However, within a year they found themselves moving to Long Beach, California, and in December 1960 they bought their home in Rossmoor.

Tom and Barbara were blessed with two wonderful children, Deborah Elaine in 1962 and Richard Thomas in 1964. Those early years were busy with sports, music lessons, annual trips to the mountains to play in the snow and in later years learning to ski, trips to San Diego, Catalina, and to visit family in Arkansas, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Germany. The family pool was the site of birthday and team parties and 4th of July celebrations with neighborhood friends.

In the 1970’s, Tom became a real estate broker. In his spare time, he purchased and/or refurbished apartment complexes, arranged second trust deeds, and owned a mortgage company and an escrow company. He was always on the lookout for the next real estate deal and dreamed of buying a villa in Italy.

Tom and Barbara worked hard together to provide a stable life for their family. They encouraged both of their children to follow their dreams and he was immensely proud of everything they have accomplished.

Once the children were grown, Tom and Barbara enjoyed traveling to Germany, Alaska, and the East Coast, and spent time at their timeshare in Hawaii with friends and at their condo in Huntington Beach.

In 1990, Rick married Laura Monus and soon the family grew to include Tyler (1994), Alyssa (1997), and Kylie (1999). Family events now expanded to watching the grandchildren participate in basketball games, dance recitals, swim meets, and theater productions. His greatest joy was spending time with his family. Tom and Barbara celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2009.

Tom grew up a Southern Baptist. But when he met Barbara, a good German Lutheran, Tom became a Lutheran. Tom and Barbara worshipped at their local Lutheran Church, Bethlehem Lutheran in Los Alamitos. Tom taught Sunday school, he ushered, and led the church council. It was at this Lutheran church that Tom’s children were baptized and confirmed, and where his son was married. Because of Tom’s faith in Christ, he is now in Heaven with Barbara.

Tom is survived by his daughter, Debbie, son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Laura, and his grandchildren, Tyler (and wife Anna), Alyssa (and fiancé Matthew Parker), and Kylie Needham. He is also survived by his niece, Carolin Molen and family of Texas, nieces and a nephew in Germany (Stefan, Petra and Jeannette), nine great-nieces, two great-nephews, and nine first cousins. He was proceeded in death by his wife, Baerbel (Barbara) Casper Needham (1941-2011), his parents Harry (1907-1956) and Margie (1914-2001) Needham, his sister, Dorothy Sue Needham Eiseler Scharnhorst (1935-2023), nieces Denise Eiseler Sellers (1953-2001) and Sandra Griffen (1972-1994), and nephew, Jerry Eiseler (1955-1967).

Arrangements are under the care of Forest Lawn, Cypress, CA.