Thomas Nelson George's Obituary
Thomas Nelson George, 56, of St. Louis, Missouri passed away on April 5, 2013. The memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at First United Methodist Church in Yazoo City, Mississippi. The family will receive visitors at the church from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Thomas was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi on April 14, 1956. He was educated in Yazoo City and gained distinction as an effective and tenacious high school football lineman, a four-year letterman, and captain of the Manchester Mavericks. He graduated from Mississippi State University where he was actively involved in Kappa Alpha Order, establishing a broad network of friends that remained tightly linked through the intervening decades. Thomas has been a great servant and leader on our nation’s rivers for nearly forty years. He began his career with Brent Towing Company in 1974, working as a deckhand and tankerman during summers and holidays during his college career, and ultimately qualifying as a towboat pilot. He went on to apply his expertise in service to the nation as a civilian employee of the US Army Corps of Engineers for more than two decades. This included service as Assistant Master on the Dredge Burgess, the Dredge Hurley, and as both Assistant Master and Master of the Corp’s river flagship the M/V Mississippi. Most recently, Captain George served as Master of the Dredge Potter in the St. Louis District, where he worked to keep the river open for navigation through floods and historic low water seasons. He became part of river history by serving as navigator on three Mississippi River Challenge Races from New Orleans to St. Louis, a tradition dating back to the era of paddlewheel steamboats. His teams (led by Mike Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan, Actor Don Johnson, and Inventor Howard Arneson) always won, each time setting a new record, and ultimately cutting the time in half. Thomas was particularly proud of his association with the Boy Scouts of America. He was an Eagle Scout (one of 4 in the family) and an inspiration to his siblings and fellows. He was a member of the Order of the Arrow (a scouting honorary), and served for several years as a teacher at BSA Camp Kickapoo near Clinton, Mississippi. He was a representative to Boys State, and became involved with several service and leadership organizations including the historic Order of Masons. Thomas is survived by his wife Dana Lyles George and daughter Emma Katherine George of St. Louis, Missouri, daughter Kayla Louise George Legons of Jackson, Tennessee, brothers John Stevens George of Los Alamos, New Mexico, Michael Lewis George (Mabel) and Marlin Eugene George, Jr. (Alice), and nephew Michael Lewis George, Jr., all of Yazoo City, Mississippi, an aunt, Sara Stevens Hazard of West Point, Mississippi, two uncles, Gordon Hazard of West Point and George Hollister of Ridgeland, and a close extended family of 11 first cousins and their families spread over three clans. Thomas was preceded in death by his father, Marlin Eugene George, and mother, Nelson Lovelace “Nel” Stevens George, maternal grandparents, Boswell and Sally Stevens of Macon, Mississippi, and aunts and uncles, AB Stevens Jr., Patricia Boggess Stevens and Katharine Stevens Hollister. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Boy Scouts of America, or to other service and leadership organizations.Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119, (901)767-8930, “Behind the Stone Wall”.
What’s your fondest memory of Thomas?
What’s a lesson you learned from Thomas?
Share a story where Thomas' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Thomas you’ll never forget.
How did Thomas make you smile?