Thomas M. Willis

Thomas M. Willis, 85, passed away on March 26th, 2014. Tom is survived by his loving wife of almost 65 years, Thelma Willis, as well as by his three children, daughter-in-law and two sons-in law; Craig and Judy Willis, Bill and Jennifer Brown, and Terry and Pam Canup. His loving grandchildren include Cleve Willis, Steven Willis, Chris Brown, Stephanie Brown, Whitney and Daniel Hardigree, Kaylin Canup and Mattie Canup, as well as his great granddaughter, Maci Hardigree. Tom was born in 1928 in Kyles Ford, Tennessee and grew up as the eldest of four children. Tom and his brothers and sister all learned the value of education and hard work from their parents and carried those values with them throughout their lives. His brother, Marvin Willis of Amarillo, Texas, is his only surviving sibling. In 1946, Tom joined the Army and was stationed at Camp Stoneman in Pittsburg, California. He then served in Korea. During his service, Tom worked as a postal clerk. This training led him to his future career with the Post Office, which he began as a postal carrier. With hard work, he advanced through the years to become a Postal Inspector. His career led him from Tennessee to South Carolina and then to Georgia. In July of 1949, he married Thelma Willis. He had seen Thelma on the steps of her high school. As soon as he saw her, he decided he was going to marry her. Thelma took some convincing from Tom that he was in fact her future husband, but obviously they made the right decision. The two of them worked side by side for nearly 65 years to build a wonderful life for themselves as well as for their children. Tom always valued education and made sure that all three of his children were educated. Tom loved to read, a habit he acquired from his father. Hardly a day went by that he didn’t have a book or a crossword puzzle in his hand. (He was one of those who used a pen to complete the crossword puzzle!) Tom was a man of many talents and skills. Although he kept the talent hidden for most of his life, Tom was also a fantastic cook. He made a vegetable stew that was unrivaled. He also was skilled at carpentry, which he enjoyed as a “hobby.” His children most definitely benefited from his help through the years in creating room additions, adding decks, etc. Tom also felt a close bond with the members of his Sunday School class at Hebron Baptist Church. He loved the camaraderie with his fellow members and made many long-term relationships there. A memorial service and celebration of Tom’s life will be held on April 6th, 2014 at Hebron Baptist Church at 2:00 pm. Guests are invited to join the family for visitation and food immediately following the service. Per Tom’s request, the family asks that donations be made to the church in lieu of flowers. Donations should be made to: Hebron Baptist Church, 202 Hebron Church Road, Dacula, GA 30019 . Please indicate on the donation it is for “Widows Ministry.”