Tommy was named Raymond Howard Thompson II, when he was born on July 1, 1940 in Kansas City, MO. A year later, his mother, Fairy Belle (Gay), moved home to Alabama and changed his name to Wyman Howard Thompson, after her uncle. Gay worked in Tuscaloosa for Loper Lumber where Wyman was dubbed “Little Tommy”. Tommy’s father, Raymond, enlisted in WWII (Army) and died in a jeep accident in 1945.
Tommy grew up in Alabama and kept himself busy with school, Boy Scouts, swimming, and skating. In 1952, Gay married Colon Rice (AL) and had a little girl, Patricia Ann (Tia) when they moved to Columbus, MS. They relocated to McAllen, TX where Tommy graduated high school in 1958. Tommy started college in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide) in 1958. He then transferred to Lamar University in Beaumont, TX where his family had relocated.
It was in Nederland that he met and married Jeanette (Bonnie) Morvent and they had Teri, Dona, and Gina in the first three years of marriage. Eleven years later in Orange, they had Erin. He was a wonderful, supportive husband who cherished his family. He was a busy and amazing father that helped his girls with schoolwork, coached their softball teams, watched many dance recitals and was always there for them. He was a quiet man who led by example. He was in church every Sunday and gave the girls a glimpse of what our Heavenly Father might be like.
As the girls grew into teenagers, he taught them how to work for what they wanted and how to keep up the maintenance on a car. He shared his love of cars and motorcycles with his kids and grandkids at car shows and races. The girls grew up watching college football and NASCAR with their dad.
Tommy was too busy to finish college until later in life when he received his Associates in Computer Aided Design from Lamar. When he retired in 2002, he took up the sport of defensive shooting. He was very active in the Beaumont IDPA group and in 2012, he earned the level of Marksman in all five divisions. He also had more time to spend at car shows and races including Formula 1, MotoGP, The Richard Petty School of Driving and the Indy 500.
Tommy worked at Schulman Plastics in Orange, TX for 36 years. The family attended Holy Cross in Nederland and Grace Lutheran in Orange.
When the Lord meets Tommy at the Pearly Gates, he will tell him,
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23)
Tommy is preceded in death by his parents, Fairy Belle Gay Rice (AL, ’18-’99) and Raymond Howard Thompson (MO, ’18-’45). Tommy is survived by his sister, Patricia (Tia) Ann Rice (AL) and his wife of 60 years, Jeanette (Bonnie) Lea Morvent Thompson and his four daughters, Teri Smith (Houston), Dona Thompson (Spring), Gina Avila (Willis), and Erin Ramirez (Round Rock). Tommy also leaves 15 grandkids and 11 great-grandkids.
