Thomas Jefferson Aldridge Sr.

Thomas J. Aldridge went to be with the Lord on November 15, 2010 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was born on February 17, 1927 to Luther Burnie Sr. and Dixie Ard Aldridge in Sun, Louisiana.

He was lovingly known by friends and family as ‘TJ’.

TJ is predeceased by his mother and father, his wife, Mildred Talley Aldridge, his brother Luther Burnie Jr. and sister Carrie Mae Poole.

TJ is survived by sons, Thomas J. Aldridge Jr. and Marcus E. Aldridge, daughter Mary E. Aldridge and granddaughter, Dixie Rose Aldridge.

TJ graduated from Bogalusa High School in 1945 and enlisted in the US Army, where he served as Technical Sergeant of the OASW Strategic Services Unit, Headquarters detachment in the US and in Berlin, Germany. He received an Honorable Discharge in December of 1946 with citations/decorations including the WWII Victory Medal and the Germany Occupation Forces Medal

TJ attended Soulé business college in New Orleans where he completed courses in accounting and business law, graduating in 1947 and began work as an accountant with the Alatex Company in New Orleans in 1948.

TJ married Mildred Lucille Talley on June 13, 1954 and started a family in New Orleans area, their first child born October 2, 1955.

In the 1960’s he was chief of accounting for a division of Alatex contracted by NASA to provide specialty materials for the Saturn rocket that was used in the Apollo program of the late 1960’s.

He retired from his career in accounting in 1996 and, with his wife Millie, turned a previous hobby into a pursuit of excellence with local and national Bromeliad groups, becoming president of the River Ridge Bromeliad Society for multiple terms.

TJ was a Christian, exemplified this in his life and ensured that teaching of solid Christian values was the highest priority in his family.

He was a lifelong member of Palestine Baptist Church in Rio, LA and served the Lord in many ways, including many areas of the Church.

TJ had a wonderful singing voice and while he served in numerous roles at Palestine Church, one of the most memorable was his leadership of the choir and music ministry for many years. For the last 15+ years he has attended Metairie Baptist Church where he found love and support from his extended family there and he said this made him know how very blessed he was. He will be remembered by those who knew and loved him as a kind, generous and dependable man who always gave of himself when needed.