Thomas Henry

Thomas O. Henry TUSCALOOSA | Thomas O. "Tom" Henry, age 93, passed away April 19, 2014, at Hospice of West Alabama. Services will be Monday, April 21, 2014, at 2:00 pm at Magnolia Chapel Funeral Home North with Dr. Gil McKee officiating. Burial services will follow at 4 p.m. at Berry City Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Joyce Ray "Billie Jo" Henry, parents, James Randall Henry and Mary McConnell Henry and step mother Cora Taylor Henry; two brothers, James M. Henry and Daniel W. Henry; and three sisters, Elette H. Cowart, Elizabeth H. Taylor, and Alice H. Barnes. He is survived by his son Thomas Allen Henry (Sara) of Tuscaloosa; two grandsons, Brian Everett Henry (Rebecca) and Richard Allen Henry (Jana) all of Tuscaloosa; one granddaughter, Laura Henry Rose (Duke) of Franklin, Tennessee; great grand children; Mack Everett Henry, Cardwell Allen Henry, Anne Barrett Rose, and Sally Caroline Henry; and many nieces and nephews. Born on January 8, 1921, in Fayette, Alabama. His mother Mary, died when Tom was 6 months old which left his father with six children to raise, two with polio. His father soon married Cora Taylor and loving Miss Cora was the only mother Tom knew. Tom attended Bankston School and graduated from Berry High School where he played in all sports. At the outbreak of World War II he enlisted and served in the Army Air Corp in St Louis and in the Pacific in New Guinea and the Philippines. After the War he returned to Fayette County and married Billie Jo Ray in 1947 and lived in Berry. Their son Allen was born in 1951 and they moved to Tuscaloosa in 1954. Tom worked in trucking management in Tuscaloosa for over thirty years. After "retiring" he helped his son in several businesses until he fully retired at 82. Even in retirement he stayed active with his wife and family. In Billie Jo's last year he cared for her and even moved his chair to the nursing home to be with her for her last months. He adapted to living alone spending time with family, friends, church and projects. Tom was a loving husband, father, father-in-law, grand and great grandfather, and true friend. He had a big heart and was always helping others. He was always ready with a smile and twinkling eyes. He was truly a part and epitome of The Greatest Generation. Pallbearers will be Brian Henry, Duke Rose, Richard Henry, Jimmy Griffin, John Walker, Michael Walker, Lynn Henry and Keith Reilly. Honorary pallbearers are the Chapel Sunday School Class at First Baptist Church, the Gentlemen's Coffee Club, and the nurses and staff of Hospice of West Alabama. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Hospice of West Alabama.