Thomas Byrd Moseley III

Thomas (“Tom”) Byrd Moseley III made his passage on Saturday, January 11, leaving incredible love in his wake. Born in Dallas, Texas to Thomas Byrd Moseley Jr. and Gloria Moseley on March 16, 1948, Tom grew up in the Preston Hollow neighborhood alongside Horis Stedman and Bill Campbell, his best friends. They remained friends for life.

The eldest son in his family, Tom was the third of eight children. From the time he could negotiate a bicycle he had a paper route, waking up before sunrise to toss newspapers and earn money for school clothes. Childhood included weekend visits to “the ranch”, a small but adventurous family property in Clifton, Texas. Tom and his siblings ran free, built primitive structures with whatever they could get their hands on, and developed an abiding love for the outdoors.

Not long after high school, Tom enlisted in the army and served with honor in Vietnam. After returning home, he used his G.I. Bill to attend North Texas State University in Denton where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance. Soon he was a residential real estate mortgage broker in north Dallas and Lewisville, and met the love of his life, Christi Nelson, in a Red Carpet Realty office. After a whirlwind romance, they married on New Years Eve, 1978 and spent the next 47 years in loving partnership. Their amazing daughter Tolly was born in 1982, and the family added one more member when Tolly married Ross Carnes – giving Tom a treasured son for the rest of his life. When Ross and Tolly brought granddaughter Nico into the world, Tom’s enormous love for his family grew even further.

Wanting more fulfillment from their careers, Tom and Christi embarked on a new educational adventure in the mid ‘80s. They sold their house in Dallas, packed up their three-year old toddler Tolly, and moved to Austin to enroll at the University of Texas. It was here that Tom earned his master’s degree in journalism and Christi earned her bachelor’s degree in interior design. Forever committed to lifelong learning, their adventure didn’t stop in Austin – they moved to San Antonio in 1988, where Tom attended St. Mary’s Law School and earned his law degree. During their years in San Antonio, Tom cheered Tolly on at her softball games, supported and encouraged Christi when she went back to school for her MBA, was the dance team dad (in a sea of dance team moms) and continued making friends everywhere. One of these was Mike Kusbel, his fishing buddy and traveling pal to Las Vegas, Corpus Christi and any other place that struck their fancy.

Tom enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a social security disability attorney, helping people who desperately needed an advocate. He credited much of his success to the help and support of his faithful assistant Esther Lumbreras who helped him run their small, efficient operation. He enjoyed a sterling record of success in this field, and along the way added another dear friend, Tino Guerra, a retired judge who shared Tom’s passion for travel. Together they traveled to Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador, and later, Tom joined Tolly, Ross, and Nico on trips to Spain, Colombia, and Mexico. He never lost his passion for adventure, or his curiosity for other cultures.

Tom is survived by his lifelong loving partner Christi, the joys of his life Tolly, Ross, and Nico, sisters Mary Lynda Burke, Karel Moseley, and Laura Moseley, sister-in law Judy Snyder, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral service for Thomas will be held Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar, Austin, TX 78752. Following the funeral service will be a graveside service from 11:15 AM to 11:30 AM at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery, 2800 Hancock Dr, Austin, TX 78731.