Thomas Walter Landrum

Thomas Walter Landrum, 92, passed away at North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia, on Wednesday, May 18th, 2011, following a brief illness. Visitation is Sunday from 1:00 - 2:30 PM at the Wright & Ferguson chapel on Highland Colony Parkway in Ridgeland, Mississippi, with the funeral service to follow at 3 PM and burial at the adjacent Parkway Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Landrum was born in Pickens, Mississippi on January 4, 1919 to Carrie Courts Landrum and Thomas Martin Landrum. He is survived by his wife, Blanche Landrum of Alpharetta, Georgia. He is also survived by his son John M. Landrum, and his daughter-in-law, Lee Anne Griffin Landrum, both of Cumming, Georgia. His four grandchildren are Griffin Landrum, Jack Landrum, Katie Scott Landrum, and Archie Landrum, all of Cumming, Georgia.

Tom was raised in Pickens, Mississippi and graduated as valedictorian. He proceeded to receive a Bachelors of Science degree from Mississippi State University in 1940. Following a short tenure in Chicago as an engineer for Underwriters Laboratories, he enrolled in the U.S. Air Force. He spent five years in the Air Force, as a Navigator and Engineering Officer flying B-24's, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, stationed primarily in England and North Africa.

Following his military service, Tom spent 33 years with Westinghouse Electric Corporation as a Sales Manager and executive in charge of Westinghouse's lighting division, retiring in 1979 as Executive Vice President. During his career with Westinghouse, he lived in Shreveport, Louisiana; Lookout Mountain, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Short Hills, New Jersey. While in Shreveport, he married his wife of 55 years, Ella Blanche Martin of Gilbert, Louisiana, on March 31, 1956.

Upon retirement, Tom moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he was active in several civic organizations, including Kiwanis International, the local Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity organization and he served on several advisory boards for the Engineering School at Mississippi State University. He was very involved at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson, serving in various capacities and leadership positions as well as a regular Sunday School teacher. In his retirement, he enjoyed playing golf as a member of the Country Club of Jackson, and was active in the Mississippi Seniors Golf Association. Tom and Blanche also traveled around the world early in his retirement, enjoying several memorable trips to Europe. In 2009, they moved to Alpharetta, Georgia to be nearer to his son's family.