Thomas "Tom" Green Jr.'s Obituary
Thomas “Tom” Green Jr. of Byhalia, MS entered into eternal rest on August 14, 2019 having lived a joyful 91 years. Tom was born in West Point, MS on December 8, 1927 and lived there much of his first seventy years.Following service as a navy quartermaster at the end of WWII, he graduated from Mississippi State with a degree in accounting although he spent most of his time at MS State College for Women. After working in sales for several companies, he returned to West Point and co-founded Green and Randle, a feed store. He fell in love and married Jean Marie Sanderson shortly after she arrived as a new nurse from Memphis. Their first date was a blind date. They had four children who enjoyed accompanying him on Saturday feed deliveries. As a young father, Tom invented the first automated pecan picker upper: four kids in a row passing a coffee can. Tom was his children’s first employer: he hired them and their friends to pick up pecans. He taught them not only about business but also about intangible traits like hard work, character, relationships, and integrity.The feed store evolved into West Point Grain Elevator Company. During the off-season, he focused on his favorite activity, the deconstruction of 19th century buildings. His first project was at the age of 13 when he helped his father tear down an old church. Some of his larger local demolition projects included First Baptist Church, the railroad depot, Federal Compress, Knickerbocker Mill, Ice House, and the 1884 Stovall House renovation. In his later years, he was a real estate appraiser.Twenty years ago, he and his wife, Jean, moved to the Memphis area to be closer to his sons and their families. Tom Jr. worked with his son Tom III in various businesses well into his 80s.He was a member of West Point United Methodist church and attended St Patrick’s Presbyterian Church in Collierville, TN. He was a member of the renovation team that helped create St. Patrick’s first location. Tom and Jean grew beautiful roses and provided the flowers for St. Patrick’s services from their own garden for several years. He was a member of the Memphis Rose Club and enjoyed woodworking, fishing, gardening, caring for his grandchildren, and collecting (to a fault). His favorite pastime was attending auctions. He planted fruit trees each time he moved and loved to graft trees and root flowers.He enjoyed visiting his children as they moved throughout the US always asking in advance what tools he should bring and what projects he could help them with. In his weekly living, he did not make plans, his plans were always about other people – how could he help, what could he do. One of his employees once said, “If Mr. Tom doesn’t get into heaven, then nobody is going to get in.” He had a generous heart and lived his Faith through his actions. He loved camping and being outdoors. One of his recent adventures included rafting the Grand Canyon at 83. Even from a wheelchair in the month before his death, he was assembling tool kits for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jean Marie Green; daughters, Janet Green of Saddle River, NJ and Margie Green Schloesser (Peter) of Park City, UT; sons, Tom Green III (Lucy Wittichen Green) and Albert Green (Lelia Bell Green); brother, Albert Henley Green (Billie) of Jackson, MS; and grandchildren Mary Henley Green, Mallory Green, Anna Grace Green,Benjamin Isaac Schloesser, and Patrick Thomas Schloesser. He was predeceased by his parents, Thomas Green Sr. and Mary Gibson Henley Green and his sister, Elizabeth Causey.A graveside service is planned for Sunday, August 18 at 1:30 at Memorial Park Funeral Home & Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis. This will be followed by a 3:00 reception at Mallard’s Croft, 2867 Hwy 309 North, Byhalia, MS. Donations may be made to samaritanspurse.org, Operation Christmas Child, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 https://www.samaritanspurse.org/memorial-page/tom-green-jr-byhalia-ms.Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN 38119 (901) 767-8930 “A Fitting Farewell for Everyone”.
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