Thomas Blackmer Bigford

Thomas Blackmer Bigford, 83, died peacefully on April 11, 2019. A resident of Williamsburg since 2009, he was born in Lake Forest, Illinois on December 29, 1935. He was commissioned ensign in the United States Navy upon graduation from Brown University, and he served as the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer on the destroyer USS Rogers. During his Navy career, he was made an honorary member of a submarine, an ASW helicopter squadron and an ASW P5M amphibian plane. He began his post Navy career with Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, followed by management positions with Carnation in Los Angeles, Ogilvy & Mather in New York and Ketchum Advertising in San Francisco. He was pre-deceased by his sister Avis Weber, and his beloved Springer Spaniels, Holly and Mandy. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Annie, his daughter Liz Moore, her husband Roger Moore, his grandson, Grayson Moore, his 2 older sisters Mary Evers and Beth Sambo and a younger brother David Bigford. There will be a celebration of life service at the Williamsburg Community Chapel on Saturday, April 27 at 11 am. He will be buried in Floydsburg Cemetery near Louisville, Kentucky with a private memorial for family at Duncan Memorial, the chapel where he and Annie were married in 1960, and his daughter Liz and her husband were married in 1984. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Tom’s memory to the Mid-Atlantic English Springer Spaniel Rescue, 3205 Davis Mills Road, Burkeville, VA 23063.