Thomas Kalina

“A life well lived unexpectedly ended early. Thomas Kalina, 56, of New Bern, NC, passed away peacefully in his home on October 14th 2022.

Born in Asmara, Ethiopia in 1966 to Joyce and Lou Kalina, Tom was fiercely curious about the world from the start. As a child of diplomats, he attended school in Okinawa, Cyprus, Nicaragua, Bahrain, and Greece where he made lifelong friends.

While a student at George Mason University, Tom was selected for the US Army’s student co-operative education program. Upon graduation, he became an intelligence officer with the US Army Intelligence and Threat Analysis Center. He went on to work with the Federal Aviation Administration as an aviation security specialist before transitioning to the Central Intelligence Agency where he spent the majority of his career in the counterterrorism field. He was recognized on multiple occasions by the CIA and the US Intelligence Community for his exceptional service.

Tom was passionate about exploring new cultures, food and historic sites. He was able to indulge these interests through his professional and personal travel. Tom was also an avid outdoorsman, plane enthusiast and lover of rock music and fast cars.

Tom retired from the Central Intelligence Agency in 2018. He spent most of his retirement fishing and enjoying his new home on the water in New Bern, NC. Tom and his former wife Coleen share one child, Lauren. Tom is survived by his mother, father, sister, three brothers and daughter.

The family requests that all flowers and notes are sent to Cunningham Turch Funeral Home. There will be a visitation at Cunningham Turch Funeral Home, on Wednesday November 2nd from 6-8PM, as well as a second visitation on Thursday November 3rd from 9-10AM. The funeral service will follow at St. Louis Catholic Church on Thursday November 3rd at 11:00AM.”