Thomas Nelson Rains

Tom was born to Baxter Smith Rains, Jr. and Elinor Nelson Rains in Atlanta, GA on April 15, 1941. He attended R.L. Hope Elementary School and The Westminster Schools, where he was active in numerous sports and other extracurricular activities and was awarded the Richard Hull Memorial Cup given to the most outstanding senior boy. He graduated from Washington & Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature in 1963. He served in the United States Army as a First Lieutenant and was wounded in Vietnam. Upon his return to Atlanta, Tom worked in banking and assumed leadership of the Rains Company, a real estate and construction company, and earned a Master of Business Administration from Emory University.

In the mid-1980s, Tom answered God’s call to ministry, earning a Master of Divinity at Columbia Theological Seminary and, later, a Doctorate of Ministry. He served as minister at West Point Presbyterian Church in West Point, GA and as senior pastor at Shades Valley Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. Later, Tom accepted the newly created role of Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater Birmingham, a role that brought him tremendous joy. During that time, he began writing what became weekly “Chaplain’s Notes” emails to the community, mixing lessons of God’s love with wisdom from luminaries ranging from Augustine to Elie Wiesel to Bruce Springsteen to the proprietor of his favorite hot dog stand. In his everyday life, Tom strived to comfort and help those in need, whether he’d known them for years or had just met them.

In 1996, Tom married his beloved wife Susan Litwiller Jones. Known as Tommy, Tom, Dad, and Poppy, he adored time with family, especially the 12 grandchildren of his blended family. Tom found joy in reading, both for himself and to his children and grandchildren. An avid runner, he was a regular participant in the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, and completed a marathon in celebration of his 60th birthday. He found peace in fly fishing, hiking, and writing, and he loved watching baseball. He loved visits with friends, relaxation at Lake Martin, and memories of beach trips as the number of grandchildren increased. In a life that spanned residences in Georgia and Alabama, the constants were books, a deep love for family and friends, and the faithful companionship of his dogs, from his boyhood puppy, Laddie, to his most recent companion, Mollie.

Tom is survived by his wife of 25 years, Susan, daughters Laura Rains Draper (Clare) and Adair Rains Flowers (Brian) of Atlanta, son Thomas Nelson Rains, Jr. (Jennie) of Montgomery, step-daughters Julie Lee (Gardner) of Birmingham and Leigh Ann Berte (Mark) of Mobile, and sister Margaret Rains Howell (Henry) of Atlanta. He was devoted to his twelve grandchildren, Margaret Crommelin Draper, Clare Hill Draper V, Thomas Rains Draper, Elinor Cannon Flowers, Thomas Whitner Flowers, Thomas Bae Rains, Shepherd Nelson Rains, Catherine Collier Lee, J. Gardner Lee, Anna Stewart Lee, Julianne Roth Berte and Linden Elizabeth Berte, and to his many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his former wife, Laura Dorsey. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Baxter Smith Rains III.

His family also extends thanks to the companions who contributed so meaningfully to his care in recent years, Annette Sanders, James Branch, Laquita Shepherd and her team from Heart to Heart.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Encore Community Respite at Canterbury United Methodist Church (https://www.encorerespite.org) or the YMCA of Greater Birmingham (https://www.ymcabham.org/give). Checks for Encore may be mailed to the church at PO Box 130699, Birmingham, AL 35213. Checks for the YMCA may be mailed to 2101 Fourth Avenue N., Birmingham, AL 35203.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 2 at Independent Presbyterian Church, 3100 Highland Avenue S., Birmingham, AL 35205 with visitation following in the church parlor. The service will also be streamed on the church’s YouTube channel, IPC Birmingham.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ridoutsvalleychapel.com for the Rains family.