Thomas Quentin McCleskey

Thomas Quentin McCleskey, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at the age of 67. His wife of 29 years, Colleen O’Neill, and their two children, Claire and Connor, will dearly miss him.

Tom was born in Memphis, Tennessee on February 21, 1949. He grew up in Panama City, Florida with his parents, Robert Quentin and Marjorie Jean McCleskey, and three brothers: Bob, David, and Greg. He attended Rutherford High School and graduated from Florida State University in 1971 with a degree in Social Work.

Tom devoted his life to the service of others and his community. Immediately after graduating college, he joined the Peace Corps as a community development worker in the Philippines. After returning to the United States and moving to Atlanta in 1972, he first worked as the Director of the Marietta Boys Club before beginning a nearly 30 year career as the Executive Director of the YMCA of Cobb County. During his tenure, the Cobb YMCA grew from one facility with 100 members to three branches serving nearly 50,000 members of the community. Upon his retirement in 2006, the East Cobb YMCA was renamed the McCleskey East Cobb YMCA in his honor. Tom remained active in the Cobb County community by serving on the Cobb County Planning Commission, Board of the Friends for the East Cobb Park, and the Well Star Foundation Board.

A funeral is scheduled for Saturday, August 20, at 4:00 PM at the H.M. Patterson and Son Canton Hill Chapel. Following the service, family and friends are invited to celebrate Tom’s life at the McCleskey East Cobb Family YMCA. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to one of the Cobb branches of the YMCA (http://www.ymcaatlanta.org/ymca-locations/mccleskey-cobb/donations.php). The family would like to thank the caring staff at Wellstar Health System, including both Cobb Hospital and Tranquility Hospice.

Tom will be remembered for his outgoing and engaging personality, visionary leadership, and enduring sense of humor.