Thomas Francis Torpey was born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Francis Torpey Sr. of Jersey City, N.J. He attended Saint Peter’s College from 1939-1940 and then joined the United States Navy, where he became an ensign. Stationed on the aircraft carrier Langley in the Southwest Pacific, Torpey flew an F6F-5 in Squadron 23 (VF-23).

On January 1, 1945, Torpey was killed in action in Ponam, the Southwest Pacific. The official casualty report shows that Torpey "Died in the Line of Duty in a Non-battle Situation" on January 1, 1945, in a plane crash in Seeadler Harbor, the Admiralties Group. He was on a training flight to “run-in” the engine of an F6 F-5 Hellcat and during aerobatics over the water, his plane crashed about 50 yards offshore. His injuries were listed as multiple and extreme.

Ensign Torpey was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal and the WWII Victory Medal.