Fred Thomas (Tom) DeMoss left this life on November 9, 2015, and went with great joy and eagerness to claim the place prepared for him and promised by his Savior. Tom was born in Houston on Tuesday, November 4th, Presidential Election Day, in the year 1924. He attended Poe Elementary School, Lanier Junior High School, and graduated from Lamar High School in 1941. He entered Rice University as a member of the first Naval ROTC class in the fall of that year. After accelerated classes and active duty at school, he was commissioned as Ensign of USNR in February of 1944 at the end of his junior academic year. He served at various training bases and then Executive Officer and later Commanding Officer of USSW LCI (L) 703 in the South Pacific and Philippine Islands during World War II.
After the war, he returned to Rice and graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in June of 1947. He was immediately employed by Gulf Oil Corporation as a sales engineer. In 1949 he took leave of absence and earned an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1951.
Tom’s diverse business career covered 40 years in sales, marketing management, marketing research, strategic planning, and consulting in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. In addition to his 28 years with Gulf, he took a position with Jefferson Chemical in 1964 as Senior Marketing Research Analyst. Two years later he was hired back by Gulf to the same position with Gulf Oil Chemicals Co. After some 12 more years with Gulf, he took early retirement in 1978. That same year he was recruited by Pace Consulting and Engineering as a Project Manager. However, in 1983, the consulting business cratered along with the general economy and Tom was “retired early” again. With a beloved wife, three children, a house and two cars to pay for, he dug out a solution and took an offer to work overseas with the General Petroleum and Minerals Organization (Petromin) in Saudi Arabia. While this was a large and difficult strain on the whole family, including Tom’s wife Gail, it was later called “their finest hour”. Tom stuck it out for 4 years and retired again.
Over these years, he retired three times, but finally came home to Houston to stay in 1987. He then began a long term association with Northwest Assistance Ministries as a volunteer, staff member, bus driver, money counter, and interest supporter of this multi-church cooperative charity organization in Northwest Harris County. He did the best he could with what he had and God forgave him anyway. Tom was married to his loyal and caring wife of over 50 years, Gail Woltman DeMoss of Houston who passed on March 2, 2012.
Survivors are:
A son, Thomas DeMoss Wood, preceded him in death, and wife Rachel and grandsons, Andrew and David of Berkeley, California;
A daughter, Lisa Gail Bassett, of Houston;
A son, Matthew Steven DeMoss and wife Krys, four grandchildren, Ben, Heather, Harrison and Clara, all of Dallas, Texas;
A son, Mark Thomas DeMoss and wife Jill, and two grandchildren, Riley and Kaiya of Albuquerque, New Mexico;
A brother, Judge Harold R. DeMoss, Jr. and wife Judy of Houston;
A sister, Dr. Dorothy D. DeMoss of Denton, preceded him in death.
His parents were Harold R. DeMoss, Sr. and Jessy May DeMoss, both now deceased, who lived in Houston before moving to Dallas in 1943.
A memorial funeral service will be held at the American Heritage Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 located at 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive. This location adjoins the Houston Veterans National Cemetery on the north side. The service will begin at 9:30am and immediately following the service a military burial procession and internment will be held at the cemetery. The family requests that in lieu of floral tributes, donations be sent to Northwest Assistance Ministries, Kuykendahl Road, Houston.
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