Paul Thomas "Tommy" Milton

From a very young age Tommy had a passion for music, and throughout his life he could be heard singing or whistling various tunes. At 10 years of age he sang the Star Spangled Banner at a large gathering, and he has sung at numerous events, weddings and funerals over the span of 80+ years.

Tommy graduated from Joplin High School in 1948. While there, he enjoyed R.O.T.C., singing in the senior choir and performing as a soloist, participating in the Order of DeMolay and in the Hi-Y club, where the purpose was “to create, maintain and extend, throughout the home, school, and community, high standards of Christian character.”

It was in high school where he met Jo Ita Galloway on a blind date, and after a few years of dating became her loving and adoring husband on May 18, 1952. That love, adoration, commitment and respect lasted for more than 70 years.

Six years later, he and Jo Ita had their only child, Sherri. The family started to grow when Sherri married Richard, who had three children – Shelli (Fred), Julie (Mark) and Bobby (Joan). And Sherri & Richard have one child together, Amy Jo (Caleb). The family continued to grow as grandchildren were born and Tommy and Jo Ita were proud of them all. He was “Papa Tommy” to Ryan, Reed, Rowan, Will, Jack, Elizabeth, Mable and Miles Paul.

Tommy was very outgoing and never met a stranger. He was naturally friendly and approachable, and frequently took the initiative to greet new people. On his weekly shopping trips he was well-known and well-liked by store personnel, quickly becoming their "favorite customer" at each store. This friendly and cheerful nature was one of the many characteristics that attracted Jo Ita to him. He loved to make her smile.

Family and children were of the utmost importance to Tommy. He had a joyful, childlike nature that drew others to him, and at gatherings you could often find him talking and playing with the children rather than mingling with the adults. He was a devoted Dad and Papa and always had time to talk, listen and play. He was known for his patience and gentle approach to parenting, never raising his voice and always ready to listen. He was a role model for many and believed in treating others with kindness and respect.

He was drafted and served in the Army for four years, earning several honors and recognized while in Germany for his outstanding work within the U.S. Military. When he returned home he worked at Westinghouse in Kansas City, MO for approximately 3 years before working at Western Electric in Lee’s Summit, MO where he enjoyed a successful career and retired as Analyst of Telecommunications. Tommy was viewed as a fair, honest and dependable co-worker. After retiring from Western Electric at age 55, he dedicated his time to his family and his church.

Tommy found joy in pursuing his various hobbies and interests, and he also shared these with his family. His love of nature and photography made for many gorgeous photos. And long before VHS and DVDs were around he was known to get the family together to watch MANY hours of slides and films of family vacations and momentous family events. He was a dedicated softball and bowling coach to his daughter Sherri and taught his granddaughter Amy how to drive a manual transmission at age 12, become an excellent bowler, and build interesting things out of wood. He was looking forward to teaching great-grandson Miles some bowling tricks, also. His gift for motivating and encouraging others to be the best they could be was inspiring. He loved to listen to selections from musicals, operas and orchestral compositions and oftentimes you could hear him driving his car up the driveway with the volume quite loud as he engulfed himself in music.

Tommy and Jo Ita were charter members of Terrace Lake UMC which opened its doors in October 1959. He took great pride in his faith and beliefs, and when he became a member of the church he did so with the same determination and commitment that he applied to other aspects of his life. Over the years he served as Treasurer of the church, as well as on many committees including the Memorial Committee, Newsletter Committee and Finance Committee, and he was very active in the Men's Group. His church was his second home and he enjoyed stopping in during the week and sharpening the pew pencils, straightening the bibles and hymnals, changing clock batteries, or anything else he could find to help the church. He was known for his rendition of "O Holy Night”, which he sang on Christmas Eve each year for over 50 years. And his dedication as song leader spanned more than 30 years.

He and Jo Ita loved to travel and had many beautiful memories from their trips throughout the United States and overseas. Driving vacations were his favorite, and although there were a number of wrong turns and unplanned adventures along the way, each trip was full of fun, laughter and great stories.

Tommy passed on January 6, 2023 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri and has joined the love of his life in heaven. He is survived by many family and friends who will miss his smile, his wit and his sincere kindness. A private service will be held at Terrace Lake United Methodist Church with burial at Mount Moriah Cemetery South. A Celebration of Life will be planned and announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Terrace Lake United Methodist Church, 4500 East Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, MO 64137.