“This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24. On Friday, April 2nd, Thomas Gerald Stone, 87, of Temple, Texas passed from this earth to his heavenly home in the presence of his family. Thomas “Tommy” was born in the back of a cotton wagon on May 16, 1933 near Marlin, Texas to Bertha and Ocie Stone. He grew up in Marlin as the son of a sharecropper and his mother worked at the Marlin VA center. He attended school in Marlin playing football in High School. He also joined the National Guard while in High School and began training as an Infantryman and tank crewman. He attended Wharton Junior College and Sam Houston State Teachers College on football scholarships. He met the love of his life Claudette Miller, of Brookshire, Texas at SHSU and they married in 1956. During his 30+ years of coaching and teaching the family lived in Roscoe, Abilene, and Lubbock, Texas where he was the head coach and athletic director at Lubbock High School Home of the Westerners. Tommy obtained a master’s degree in history and education from Hardin Simmons University. In Lubbock he was promoted to full colonel in the National Guard and took a full time Active-Duty job at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and the US Army War College where he obtained a master’s degree in Military science and International relations.
Tommy and Claudette settled in Temple, Texas, near Fort Hood with their family and Tommy started a Driving School and Safety Consultancy. Until he retired from his company in 2002, we estimate he and his team trained over 1,200 High School beginning drivers and 300 Motorcyclists at Fort Hood annually, a total of almost 40,000 young people he taught how to drive and ride safely. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1996 and became the Assistant Division Commander for Support of the 49th Armored Division which at that time was the largest Armored Division in the World with over 25,000 soldiers. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and numerous other military and civic awards.
Tommy was elected and served as a Temple City councilman and received the Temple Distinguished Citizen Award. In 1999 he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni from Sam Houston State University for his and Claudette’s many years of personal and professional achievements following graduation.
Tommy is the last survivor of his family having been preceded in death by his mother, Bertha Jordan, father, Ocie, Stepfather, Bill Jordan, sister Barbara Manes, sister Margaret Pick, brothers Al Stone and Butch Stone. Survivors include his children Keith Stone and wife Stacy, daughter Janet Williams and husband Bobby, daughter Kelly Thompson, and their grandchildren: Audrey Williams, Alexandra Williams, Emily Moranski and husband JT, Sam Thompson and wife Tiffany, Deena Girts and husband Michael, Nicole Rocha and husband Alex, and Anna Stone and Kaden Stone, and long-time caregiver extraordinaire and cherished friend Jennifer Brown.
In the last few years Tommy, along with his beloved wife Claudette, have enjoyed several long-established activities. You would often find them at Stoneridge, the family ranch in Brookshire, Texas cared for by Keith and Stacy Stone, where they were always present for working the cattle and the counting of the calves. Alternately they would be traveling with the Sam Houston State University athletic teams to championship events in Montana, Louisiana, North Dakota, Florida, and Frisco, Texas under the leadership of their son-in-law, Bobby Williams, the Director of Athletics at SHSU and family to cheer on the Bearkats toward victory. When not traveling Tommy and Claudette had become fans of the Baylor Bear athletic teams, once Kelly and her family attended and graduated from Baylor.
Tommy Stone lived a life of service and honor from humble beginnings in the back of a cotton wagon to serve as a Brigadier General US Army, he lived a life dedicated to his wife Claudette (whom he called Ace), and to his children, an example of honor, integrity, and calmness through the storms of life.
We celebrate his life of service on Thursday, 8 April 2021 with visitation at 10:00 am followed by a service at 11:00 at Immanuel Baptist Church of Temple where he and Claudette have been members for 44 years. Tommy served as a deacon and held numerous leadership positions. Burial will be at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.
