Thomas "Tom" Greaves Leatherbury Jr.

Thomas “Tom” Greaves Leatherbury, Jr., was born on October 10, 1987, in Mobile, Alabama, the oldest child and only son of his parents, Thomas Greaves Leatherbury, Sr., and Melissa Fogarty Leatherbury. Tom was an avid outdoorsman from his first breath until his last, his final day on Earth spent outside doing what he loved most, a true testament to the way he lived his life in a tight embrace of the natural world around him.

In his early years, Tom was first introduced to the world of hunting at the ripe age of 18 months by his dad, his best friend and hunting companion. As he got older, he spent much of his time at his grandparents’ home on Dauphin Island boating and fishing with his dad and cousins, and as he became a true sportsman, he added several Rodeo awards to his resume. As he grew into his mid-teens, he also became a true outdoorsman and the curator of family property known as Leatherbury Timberland, developing habitat for wildlife and game of all types, especially big deer as he had a natural passion for bow hunting.

A proud graduate of St. Ignatius Catholic School and UMS-Wright Preparatory School, Tom was a beloved classmate, teammate, and friend to all who were blessed to share their childhood with him. A storied athlete, Tom proudly wore #2 during his years playing football for the 2005 state champion UMS-Wright Bulldogs. After high school, he attended the University of Alabama where he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

A devoted member of the Mobile County Wildlife and Conservation Association, the Alabama Wildlife Federation, and the Coastal Conservation Association, Tom was one of our area’s greatest advocates for and champions of the outdoors. He loved his city, his state, and all the woods, land, and water surrounding it, and he even managed to establish a successful career out of his passion with recreational land sales at National Land Realty.

The only things he loved more than the outdoors were his wife, Austin, whom he shared his life with since they were in college, and their precious daughter, Jeanie, whose finger he was wrapped around from the moment she was born. A beloved member of a large, extended family, Tom deeply cherished his relationships with his sister, aunts, uncles, and countless Leatherbury and Fogarty cousins who were the reason family was so important to him.

A true kid at heart, Tom’s adventurous spirit and childlike joy allowed him to stay forever young. He was an irreplaceable hunting and fishing companion, founding member of the Coontainer Rod and Gun Club, gracious host (with or without a shirt on) of the WNWC, and a steadfast friend who will be greatly missed by his extensive band of brothers—for Tom, there was no difference between friend and family.

A member of several Mardi Gras organizations, Tom could always be spotted in a crowd, his cowboy boots peeking out underneath his suit, never fully leaving the woods even when he was nowhere near them. His happy place was his hunting camp, known to Tom as “God’s Creation” in Bladon Springs, Alabama, where he could be found behind the wheel of a family heirloom affectionately called “the lunchbox” blazing a trail of mud down Blue Dirt Road, taking Jeanie and Austin on buggy rides, or instilling a love for the outdoors into the next generation of hunters. Outside of the woods, he was a devoted fisherman and found great joy in time spent boating, fishing, and hunting ducks in the Delta, as well as blue water offshore fishing with his lifelong friends. But wherever he was, whether on land or on water, he was never happier than with his girls by his side.

On October 15, 2025, Tom was called home to Heaven, the same night his bow and arrow finally took down the buck he’d been chasing for two years, leaving his friends and family with one last hunting story they will never forget.

Tom is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Florence Greaves Leatherbury and Gregory Luce Leatherbury; maternal grandparents, Mary Margaret Doyle Fogarty and Bernard Aloysius Fogarty; uncle, Bernard Aloysius Fogarty, Jr; and uncle, Edward Shields Leatherbury. He leaves behind the love of his life, his wife, Austin Vollmer Leatherbury; his greatest accomplishment, their daughter, Jean “Jeanie” Elizabeth Leatherbury; parents, Melissa and Tom Leatherbury; sister, Catherine “Katie” Fogarty Leatherbury; mother and father in law, Trudy and Robert Craft; mother and father in law, Ruth and Tom Vollmer; sister in law, Sarah Stewart Heath; niece, Grace Heath; nephew, Charlie Heath; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends who he deeply loved and cared for.

Tom’s spirit will remain in the woods he walked and the waters he rode, and his legacy will live on in the reverence he carried for his surroundings and his generous way of sharing it with others, the deep laughter and rich memories he leaves with his many friends and family, and the beautiful life he shared with Austin and Jeanie. While our hearts are broken and he will be forever missed on this side of Heaven, we know he is already in the woods again, onto the next hunt, waiting to welcome us all one day.

A memorial service followed by a celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd, from 3-6 PM at Five Rivers Delta Center, just steps from the water where he spent so many of his happiest days. Austin, Jeanie, and the entire Leatherbury, Vollmer, and Craft families want to extend their deepest thanks for the outpouring of love and support they have received during this time of grief. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the fund established in support of Jeanie’s future. Checks can be mailed to Hieronymus CPAs at 3262 Old Shell Road Suite A Mobile, AL 36607.