Thomas L. Stapleton

Thomas L. Stapleton, 87 of Greensboro, NC passed away on January 10, 2025, at home with members of his family at his side. He was born February 18, 1937, in Jefferson City, MO, the son of Tom Amos and Mary Virginia Polson Stapleton.

He was graduate of Jefferson City Senior High, participating in school band, football, basketball and track. He was a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Business and Public Administration with a Marketing major.

During the summer, he worked for the MO Department of Conservation's Information Division at their state fair building, in winter at their sports shows and in the spring fighting brush fires at state parks. After graduation he joined the MO Division of Commerce where he began his career in business location. While working with the State Agency, he met his future wife, Irene, who was a talented journalist and musician. In 1960, he joined the United States Army Reserve and was trained as an artilleryman at Fort Sill, OK. After active duty he rejoined the State Development Agency, became a Certified Economic Developer and pursued business development posts in several Southeast and Midwest cities. He was the first president of the Missouri Industrial Development Council. He participated in a number of work experiences including: the first official U.S. Department of Commerce Reverse Investment Mission to Europe, witnessed the launch of Apollo IV at Cape Kennedy where he met Wernher Von Braun, was a member of a goodwill team to Belem, Brazil and the lower Amazon River and served as a thesis consultant at the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute. He was Economic Development Manager for the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. His final position was with the City of Greensboro, retiring in 1991 as their first Manager of the Office of Business Assistance and Development.

He and his wife were members of West Market Street United Methodist, joining in 1984. He served on the board of directors of the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship, the Piedmont Triad Film Commission, Old Greensboro Preservation Society and North Carolina Global Leadership. He was a long-time member of Habitat for Humanity's Trim Crew 1, Mobile Meals and the Greensboro Chamber's Small Business Consortium. He donated food products through A Simple Gesture.

Before retiring he enjoyed tennis, occasionally as Tom Osborne's doubles partner. He and his wife toured all but a few of the states of the U.S. Thomas later took art courses at UNCG and lessons with professional artist Connie Logan.

For personal thrill, he did a tandem sky dive and co-piloted the restored WW11 P-51 "Betty Jane". He enjoyed building and flying miniature aircraft with CCRCM Inc members at their airfield near Randleman Lake. He was a member of the Panera-Lawndale Coffee Club and attended many live jazz performances at O'Henry Hotel.

He is survived by daughter, Rhonda Kay of Greensboro, NC., son Thomas Gentry and wife Melissa Jeanne of Charlotte, NC., grandsons Thomas Gentry Jr. of Charlotte, NC., Samuel Christian of Lenoir, NC., granddaughter Abigail Grace of Orlando, FL., sister Marla J. and husband Bruce Immekus of Springfield, MO., niece Laura Bays and husband Michael, great nephews Beau and Benson of Fayetteville, AR., nephew Philip Immekus of Rogersville, MO., and sister-in-law Helen Crow of Raymore, MO.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at College Place United Methodist Church, 509 Tate St., Greensboro, NC 27403 on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 2:00 pm, with inurnment at Guilford Memorial Park at a later time.

Hanes-Lineberry Sedgefield Chapel is honored to serve the Stapleton Family.