Thomas Golding Flowers

Thomas “Tommy” Golding Flowers died Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in his home in Montgomery, AL under hospice care and surrounded by family. He was born in Florence, AL as the first child of Hubert A Flowers, an athletic coach and later director at the University of North Alabama, and Minnie Golding Flowers, an elementary school teacher. In his youth Tommy enjoyed taking bus trips from Florence with friends to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Using earnings from delivering newspapers, he purchased a Gibson guitar which he continued to play in his adult life along with the mandolin and was admired by his friends for his playing skills. He graduated from Coffee High School where he was named “wittiest boy” in his class, and later attended Florence State College (now the University of North Alabama), where he earned a Bachelor of Science.

Tommy moved to Andalusia, AL after college graduation where he taught history and civics at Andalusia High School. There he met fellow teacher Sherry Rabren, and the two of them were married in 1960 and remained so for over 61 years until his death. While in Andalusia, he took classes at Troy State College where he earned a Master of Science.

Tommy and Sherry moved to Montgomery, AL in 1963 where he lived the remainder of his life. There, he began his career as a proud State of Alabama employee, starting his career at the Alabama State Personnel Department where he worked in both the Examinations and Classification and Pay Divisions. In 1967, he was appointed the Personnel Manager for the State Department of Mental Health where he worked until 1972 when he moved to the Alabama State Department of Education, establishing the first central personnel office for that department. In 1975, he returned to State Personnel as the Chief of Recruitment and Examinations. It was in this role that he oversaw the development of examination validation requirements in order to meet the Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection which are followed to this day. Tommy was appointed Deputy Director of State Personnel in April of 1982 and also served as Chief of the Classification and Pay Division responsible for the maintenance of the state’s classification and compensation plan for over 33,000 state employees. As Deputy Director, he also handled media relations and served as legislative liaison for the Department, a role he enjoyed as he had a keen interest in the State’s legislative process and had an in-depth knowledge of Alabama politics. In April 1998, he was appointed as Interim State Personnel Director. Then in November of that year the State Personnel Board appointed him State Personnel Director, responsible for all aspects of the State’s personnel function, a role he served in for seven years. Tommy retired in 2005 after over 40 years of dedicated service.

Tommy remained forever a teacher in imparting knowledge to all as well as mentoring many state employees over his long career. Outside of work, he loved being a gracious host and had a gift for being able to tell a great story. He would never turn away a visitor. He also loved the state where he spent his entire life and remained an avid devotee of Alabama history and politics. But family, friends, and personal relationships were always the most important parts of his life.

Tommy is survived by his wife Sherry, his daughter Lee of Tallahassee, FL, his son Jeff and wife Bonnie of Madison, AL, his granddaughter Anna of Madison, AL, and his brother Alan and wife Curtis of Florence, AL, as well as in-laws, nieces and nephews, their children, and close friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests consideration of a donation to either the Alabama Archives and History Foundation in Montgomery, or Samaritan’s Purse in Boone, North Carolina.

Visitation

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

LEAK MEMORY CHAPEL

945 Lincoln Road

Montgomery, AL 36109

The family will host an outdoor receiving line just outside the chapel with memoranda

from Mr. Flowers' life available for viewing inside along with seating for visitation indoors and out.