Individual Details

Death

Thomas M. Boone, Jr., 84, died Saturday, February 14, 2009, in Holly Springs. He was a native of Holly Springs, MS. Tom was born May 17, 1925 and was the youngest son of Catherine and Thomas M. Boone, Sr. A graduate of Holly Springs High School, he attended Hinds Junior College where he played football on scholarship before serving as a flight trainer during WWII, after graduating from Lodwick School of Aeronautics, where he received the Outstanding Cadet Award. Following his service in WWII, he married the former Bertie Jewel Tomlinson on May 19, 1946. He resumed his education at Mississippi State, graduating from the School of Engineering with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also served during the Korean Conflict and honorably discharged from the Air Force with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Tom began his career with Garlock Packing in Louisville, KY, and eventually worked in real estate development with the Memphis-based American Realty to oversee land developments in Ohio, Texas, Missouri, and Georgia. He was also employed by Dunavant Enterprises as general manager of a coal company in Williamson, West Virginia. Following a brief retirement in the early 1980s to quail hunt on his farm outside of Holly Springs, Tom became part owner and editor of the Marshall Messenger newspaper. In 1987, he was named General Manager of the Holly Springs Utility Department, where he remained until his retirement in April 2006. Tom was past president of the Holly Springs Lions Club and a longtime member and a deacon for First Baptist Church in Holly Springs. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Bertie Jewel Boone; daughters, Susan Jordan and son-in-law, Kelly Jordan of Holly Springs, Kathy Woods of Holly Springs and Ellen Ferrell and son-in-law, Keith Ferrell of Hernando, MS; son, Marc Boone and daughter-in-law, Dawn Boone of Madison, MS; and six grandchildren, Reid Carpenter of Red Bay, AL, Nick Carpenter of Madison, MS, Russell Jordan of Hernando, MS, Elise Jordan of Washington, D.C. and Brennen Boone and Olivia Boone of Madison, MS. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Sidney Seale Boone, Clyde McCollum and Ruby Dockery; and brother, Claude James Boone. The family will receive friends today from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Holly Springs Funeral Home and a service will be held at the same location Monday, February 16, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. 
Published in the Clarion Ledger on 2/15/2009