Thomas Edward Burger Sr.

Services for Thomas Edward Burger, Sr., of Colleyville, Texas, will be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3, 2015 in the Gipson Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Kevin McClosky officiating. Interment will follow in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park.

Tom passed away peacefully at home Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at the age of 93.

Tom was born October 16, 1921 and raised in Dayton, Ohio. After graduating from Steele High School in Dayton, Ohio in 1939, Tom attended Purdue University where he played baseball, a game he loved, graduating in 1943 with a degree in Forestry. Tom served in the United States Navy after graduation as a Lieutenant JG until 1946.

Tom loved his job with General Box Company, where he worked as manager of many saw mills for 23 years and then continued on with his career for Eastex in Evadale, Texas and then Temple-Inland in Diboll, Texas. He loved all the people he worked with through the years.

Tom was an avid hunter who got to go on many wonderful hunts to Canada and Africa with lifelong friends, his sons, and grandsons. He never met a stranger and loved to talk and shake hands with everyone and say “you have a handshake like a chicken”, especially if your handshake was not a strong, firm clasp. He loved the outdoors and could identify any tree and leaf of a tree. He loved woodworking and as a young man won first place in a State Fair for a book table that he made for his mother.

He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Beaumont, then of Lufkin. He was a lifetime member of the Texas Forestry Association and the American Pulpwood Association. He was a wonderful Christian man, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather – and so loved. He was a man that his entire family truly looked up to.

He leaves a loving wife of 69 years, Janet Burger; four children including son, Thomas E. Burger, Jr. and wife Debbie of Beaumont; son, John C. Burger and wife Marilyn of Kingwood; daughter, Suzanne Spinks-Grimm and husband Don of Colleyville; and daughter, Nanette L. Viator and husband Len of Beaumont. Tom also leaves 10 wonderful grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; and sister, Beulah Hutson of Fountain Valley, California.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Daisy William Burger and Clyde Adam Burger; and sisters, Lucille Biggs and Martha Keiter.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons, Clayton Burger, Adam Burger, Nickolas Spinks, Matt Burger, Jonathan Spinks, and Nathan Viator.

Mr. Burger’s family wishes to thank the staff of New Century Hospice of Ft. Worth for their wonderful care of him, with special thanks to Jennifer Horton for her special love and care.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening at the funeral home.

Condolences may be offered at www.gipsonfuneralhome.com

Services have been placed in the trust of Gipson Funeral Home.