Thomas J. Carlin, 78, a former regional vice president for American Express in Chicago, died Monday in Evanston Hospital. Mr. Carlin was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and entered the Air Force during World War II in 1942. After an honorable discharge as a sergeant, he attended Rutgers University. At the same time, he worked as manager trainee at American Express in New York City. Mr. Carlin was promoted to manager of an American Express office in Minneapolis in 1949. Seven years later, he became the manager for the company’s first office in Honolulu. He moved back to New York and became district travel manager for the company a few years later. In 1963, he became the regional vice president and moved to Wilmette until retiring in 1983. He joined the Travel Mart in Wilmette a year later, working as a travel consultant until 1997. Mr. Carlin received an award from the U.S. Department of Commerce for his contribution in promoting trade between the United States and Egypt. Survivors include his wife, Virginia; two sons, Richard and Michael; a daughter, Helena Romero; and four grandchildren. Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel, 9900 Gross Point Rd., Skokie.
