Tommy Roger Warren

On a wintry Christmas Eve, beneath the silent skies of 2024, the steadfast soul of Tommy Roger Warren slipped into the eternal, leaving a soft ache in the hearts of all who walked beside him. At 78, in the quiet embrace of Hoover, Alabama, he found his rest, his life a woven tapestry of love, duty, and quiet valor.

Born on the eleventh day of March, in the year 1946, Tommy began his journey in the tender arms of Anniston, Alabama. The son of William Alton Warren and Lou Mitchell Warren, he carried their legacy with dignity. From the halls of Anniston High School (class of 1964) to the scholarly pathways of Jacksonville State University, he earned both a BA and a Masters in Public Administration, his mind ever-reaching toward wisdom and purpose. For thirty-seven years, he gave himself to service, his days marked by compassion and resolve as he rose to the role of Director of the Division of Disability Determination at the Social Security Administration. In equal measure, he served his nation in the Alabama National Guard, retiring with honor after twenty-seven steadfast years.

Tommy’s heart dwelled within the circle of family and community, a beacon of light to all who gathered near. A proud Eagle Scout in Troop 15 Anniston, AL and guide to many, his wisdom was a steady hand, his joy the bond of fellowship. To his kin, he was a foundation of enduring love, a presence both strong and tender.

He now joins the hallowed company of those who went before: parents, William Alton Warren, Lou Mitchell Warren, grandparents, Johnnie Bessie Smith Mitchell, Lowell Mack Mitchell, Nancy Surilla Bennett Warren, and Jesse Reid Warren. In the shadowed lands of eternity, he takes his place, as we who remain hold his memory bright and unyielding.

Left to cherish his legacy is his beloved wife, Laraine Avant Messer Warren, and his sons, Christopher Roger Warren and Seth Messer, along with their beloved wives, Catherine Strange Warren and Abbey Day Messer. His siblings, Jan Warren Battles of Douglasville, Georgia; Ron Warren of Huntsville, Alabama; Judge Larry Franklin Warren of Anniston, Alabama; and Brenda Warren Kemp of Oxford, Alabama, hold him close in their hearts. His cherished grandchildren—Elise, Max, and Reese Warren—carry forward the spark of his spirit.

For those who seek to honor Tommy’s memory, let them turn their kindness to ALS of Alabama, a cause reflective of his boundless compassion: https://www.als.org/support/states/alabama.

To bid farewell, visitation will be held on the third day of January, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, at Ridout’s Southern Heritage Funeral Home and Cemetery in Pelham, Alabama. Thereafter, at 12:30 PM, his mortal frame shall rest in the Alabama National Cemetery celebrated with a military ceremony in Montevallo, Alabama, among those who served with unyielding honor.

Tommy Roger Warren lived a life of quiet courage and abiding grace. Though his voice is now a memory, his legacy will echo in the hearts of those who loved him—a melody that time may soften but never still.