Thomas J. McCormack, 82, of the John F. Kennedy Arms, 70 Westfield Ave., Elizabeth, who survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, died today in Elizabeth General Hospital.

Mr. McCormack was returning to America from Ireland aboard the "unsinkable" ship when it hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank. The tragedy claimed 1,517 lives on the ship's maiden voyage.

Mr. McCormack often recalled that he was asleep in his compartment below decks when the mishap occurred. He was awakened after the collision by two cousins who died in the disaster.

After dressing, he made his way to the main deck and jumped into the ocean. He was taken aboard a lifeboat an hour later.

After being picked up by the SS Carpathia [sic], Mr. McCormack and other survivors spent two days at sea before arriving in New York.

After the tragedy, Mr. McCormack operated a tavern in Bayonne for 20 years. Later, he was a security guard.