Thomas Ashley Shelton

At seventeen, he answered the call to serve his country, joining the United States Air Force. There he discovered a craft that would define much of his life—the skilled art of aircraft painting. With precision and care, he painted fighter jets including the F-106 and F-107, and worked on the legendary C-130 Hercules, one of the most important aircraft in aviation history.

After completing four years of military service in 1964, he continued his specialized work in painting aircraft at Lear Siegler in Burlington, Vermont, and later at Brown Engineering, painting Bell Helicopter parts. In 1964, he married Sylvia Moon, and together they welcomed their daughter, Tamara Shelton (Miles).

His expertise eventually brought him to Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia, where he painted massive C-5 transport aircraft on the swing shift. From military aircraft to tractor-trailers in the mid-seventies and beyond, he eventually found his niche painting houses for Randy Corley Painting in the Atlanta area, work he continued with pride until his retirement.

He later married Irene Hester Bailey, who predeceased him after many years together. In recent years, he was a resident of Christopher Towers and at Stone Pavilion, the Veterans Home at Tucker Nursing.

Beyond his work, he found joy in life's simple pleasures—playing pool, bowling, building model aircraft and ships, the peaceful beauty of aquariums (at one point he had 10 of them in his apartment), and his beloved '56 Chevrolets. He enjoyed history and westerns and could tell you a lot about both. Country music was his favorite, and it was a pleasure to hear him sing along. He loved the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Chiefs, and swore Kansas City barbecue is the best.

He is survived by his daughter Tamara and fiancé David Lemieux as well as a granddaughter, Jillian Miles Massey, and her husband Brian Massey. He will be missed by his long-time friends and family. He always wanted somebody to publish a book about his “crazy life,” so Tamara is working on that.