Thomas Edward Pope

Thomas (Tom) Edward Pope was born on April 14, 1931, in Parma, OH and went to be with our Lord and Savior on December 7, 2021. He was 90 years old.

Tom’s parents were Leonard and Helen Elizabeth Pope, who preceded him in death. Tom was one of 10 brothers and sisters (Ray, Robert, Bud, Bruce, Lenny, Lorene, Doris, Cheryl, and Ruth), all of whom preceded him in death except Bruce and Cheryl.

Tom married the love of his life, Patsy (DeCamp) Pope in Fort Smith, AR. Earlier this year, they celebrated 67 years together. They had two children, Thomas (Tommy) R. Pope and Tammy Renee (Pope) Belk.

Tom is preceded in death by his son, Tommy, and one Grandchild, Brandon Pope.

Tom is survived by his loving wife Patsy; their daughter Tammy who is married to Ray Belk; their daughter-in-law, Cecil (McDonald) Pope; 5 Grandchildren (Matthew, Sarah, and Ben Pope who is married to Mercedes “Sadie” Pope; Jon Belk who is married to Michelle (Henderson) Belk; and Lauren (Belk) Young who is married to Charlie Young) and 6 Great Grandchildren (Luke, Audrey Ann, and Cooper Pope, children of Ben and Sadie Pope; and Molly Joy, Juliet Lee, and Evan Wade Belk, children of Jon and Michelle Belk).

Tom always enjoyed visits by his Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. The Grandchildren who had the opportunity to visit him will always have fond memories of spending time with “PaPa” and all of the things he did with them.

Tom served our country in the U.S. Army for 30 years and 4 days. The 30 years he served in the U.S. Army was 1/3 of his entire life. He retired with the rank of Master Sergeant. He was a Chemical Operations Specialist for 21 years. He began his Army career as a Combat Infantryman.

Tom served with distinction and honor in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. Among the many honors he was awarded include the Bronze Star with Valor, the Air Medal, Army Commendation with Oak Leaf cluster, Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal, Vietnam Service medal, multiple Good Conduct awards, National Defense Service medal, Korea Service medal, United Nations Service medal, Army of Occupation (Japan and Germany), Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and the prestigious Combat Infantry Badge he earned in Korea.

Some of his duty stations where he took his family included Heilbronn, Stuttgart, Augsburg, and Mannheim, Germany; Fort Chaffee, AR; Fort Benning, GA; Tinker Air Force Base, OK; Fort Polk, LA; and West Point, NY.

During Tom’s career in the Army, he was always active in sports by playing on a team or being a coach of a team. Somehow he found the time to coach his wife, son, and daughter in various sports (youth baseball, basketball, fast pitch softball, slow pitch softball, and volleyball). He also coached company teams while he was in the Army. He played racquetball and was an excellent bowler with a bowling average around 240. In his youth, he was an excellent roller skater; that is how he met his wife, Patsy. One of his biggest coaching accomplishments in youth sports was coaching the Mannheim, Germany girls fast pitch softball team to Runner-Up champions United States Army Europe (USAREUR) in 1975, and then in 1976 the fast pitch USAREUR Champions.

Tom loved his sports. He was an avid fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Ohio State Buckeyes. He enjoyed going to Houston Astro games and taking his family with him to watch the games.

After retiring from the U.S. Army, Tom spent several years as a route carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS) in Houston, TX. He retired from the USPS having walked many miles.

Tom was a lover of westerns and war movies/TV shows, especially anything that had John Wayne in it. During his retirement if he was not watching sports, you could be assured he was watching a western or war movie/tv show. His favorite western TV show was Gunsmoke.

Tom worked hard his entire life and had an exceptional work ethic. He was a first-class provider for his family. Somehow, he always made time for his family, friends, and loved ones. He had a five-star willingness to help others. Tom loved animals and taught his family his love for animals. The family always had pets in their lives, all dogs except for one cat and one hamster. He taught his family how to respect everyone no matter the age, race, or ethnicity. He had a powerful love for his country. Anytime Tom would see the US flag, he would always salute it whether he was outside or riding in a vehicle. There are so many wonderful things about Tom being left unsaid. He will be missed tremendously.

The viewing and funeral service will be held at Crawford Bowers – Temple. Viewing is Wednesday, December 15, from 5 – 7 p.m. Funeral services will he held in the chapel on Thursday, December 16th, starting at 1 p.m. After the funeral service, there will be a police escort to Bellwood Cemetery in Temple. At the cemetery pavilion, Tom will be honored with full military honors.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made in memory of Tom to: Alzheimer’s Texas, website www.txalz.org to donate by credit card; to donate by check the mailing address is: 7000 N. Mopac, #200, Austin, TX 78731. If you need assistance regarding a donation, their telephone number is 512-241-0420.

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