John Herschel "Tommy" Thames Jr.

Tommy was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. A gentle and humble soul, he will be long remembered and deeply missed by everyone who knew him. His care, compassion, generosity and encouragement enriched countless lives. His endearing smile made others always feel seen and loved.

Tommy grew up in Jackson attending Murrah High School, graduating in 1960. He received a B.A. in Economics in 1964 from the University of Mississippi. He was immensely proud to be a member of the United States Air Force where he completed his pilot training in 1968. He served in the Mississippi Air National Guard from 1966-1980 as a flight instructor and flight examiner. During his service, he piloted the C-130 airplane to deliver artillery and equipment to our troops in Vietnam. Outside of the military, he continued to enjoy flying planes throughout most of his life, an endeavor which brought him much joy, especially when shared with others.

It was during his early service years that Tommy met his wife of 53 years, Suzan Brown. They married in 1972 and built an amazing life together filled with family and service.

Following Tommy’s active service years, he entered the field of Real Estate Appraisal. Passionate about his career, Tommy held the MAI designation of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers and the SRPA designation of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. He served as president of the Louisiana-Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers as well as the Jackson Chapter of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. He eventually expanded his career to include real estate development, construction, and management. He founded his own businesses Park Development, Unicorp Construction and Tri-Park Development, later known as The Park Companies, which constructed commercial and multi-family residential properties across numerous states. Tommy became known as a pioneer of affordable housing throughout the Southeast, and his company has been recognized as one of the top 10 development companies in the nation.

As a native Jacksonian, Tommy enjoyed the opportunity to serve his community in many ways and through multiple organizations. He served as Chairman of both the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center Board of Directors and the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. A very meaningful part of Tommy’s life was his long-time membership at Northminster Baptist Church. In addition to many public forms of service, Tommy will be remembered for the quieter acts, the lesser known and many unknown acts of generosity he performed.

Tommy often spent his leisure time on the golf course, shooting his age well into his late seventies. Fishing and hunting were also activities which he loved, especially when his grandchildren came along and could share the experience. In fact, everything became more enjoyable with his grandchildren and they loved being with him just as much. Every moment was simply better when shared with “Pops.” He took every opportunity to spend as much time as possible with them and together they created memories that will be forever treasured…from countless holidays and family trips together, to their special summertime memories in Highlands, NC.

Tommy will be greatly missed by his loving family, his wife, Suzan and three daughters, Amanda Tucker (Jody) of Atlanta, Georgia, Caroline Shaul (Roman) of Birmingham, Alabama and Mary Herschel Thames (Malone) of Greenwood, Mississippi. His adoring grandchildren include: Kingsley, Wiley, and John Herschel Tucker; Anne Kingsley, Isabel and Thompson Shaul. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Patricia Anne, granddaughter, Lillian Shaul and his beloved English Lab and best buddy Maggie.

A memorial service honoring Tommy will be held Saturday, May 30th, at 11 am at Northminster Baptist Church. Visitation will begin at 10:00am. An inurnment in the church’s columbarium will follow the service. A reception will take place in Northminster’s Great Hall following the inurnment.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Friends of Children’s Hospital, The MIND Center, the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute Clinics (address: 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216 or link: https://linktr.ee/ummcgive) or a charity of your choice.