and Ruby Lee Nellums (nee Taylor). Tommie changed his name from Nellums to Nellon when
he was a young man.
He moved to Mendota, California, with his mother and two sisters, Georgia and Mildred, when
he was about 10 years old. He would remain in Fresno County until the late 1950’s. He would
later live in Los Angeles County, Orange County and ultimately settle in Riverside County.
He proudly served his country as a Marine, fighting during the Korean War.
Tommie was an incredibly hard worker. And he loathed laziness. It was not unheard of for him to
work two jobs. He primarily worked in maintenance and, in 1974, he became the first state
certified high rise window cleaner in California. Although he lacked a formal education, he was
incredibly bright and in a different time, would have likely been an engineer. There was nothing
that he could not fix: cars, radios, televisions-- you name it and he could fix it.
He was born a country boy and never veered far from his country roots. As a child, he raised
pigeons and sold them to friends. When the pigeons would return home to him, he’d just sell
them again. As an adult, he raised chickens, quails and rabbits. He smoked his own meat-- in a
smokehouse that he built in his own backyard. City zoning codes be damned! He loved to eat
and like his mother, Ruby, he was an excellent cook.
Tommie’s favorite past-time was fishing. He enjoyed nothing more than packing up his truck and
heading to some nearby lake or other body of water to spend a weekend fishing. In his younger
days, Salton Sea was a favorite fishing spot and he’d come home with more fish than he could
fit into his freezer.
He was a quiet man, with a great sense of humor and a genuine laugh. And when he did
speak, it was always worth the wait.
Tommie leaves behind a devoted wife of 41 years, Leticia; their daughter, Michelle; his daughter
Regina; his son and daughter, Tommie Jr., and Janet; his daughters and son, Cherol, Lisa and
Anthony; his sisters Mildred, Regina and Betty; his brothers Ronnie, Jimmie and Eric; as well as
ten beautiful grandchildren; 1 great grandchild; and many other nieces, nephews, extended family and devoted friends. Tommie was preceded in death by his mother Ruby and his sister, Georgia Lee.
Acknowledgments
The family would like to thank all of our extended family members and friends for the many acts
of loving kindness shown to us during our bereavement. You have brought us solace and
comfort. Your thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated and will always be remembered.
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