Tommye was born in Appleby, Texas on November 22, 1923 to John Isom and Lora Bell Hartt. She graduated from Appleby High School in 1941 and shortly after graduating from high school she moved to Houston to help care for a sick family member. In 1947 Tommye married the love of her life, Belton F. Musgrove.
After arriving in Houston, Tommye got a job as a ticket taker at a local movie theater. She worked at the theater and several other small accounting jobs until 1945 when she was hired in the Accounting Department at the Houston Chronicle. She would work for the Houston Chronicle for 44 years. While at the Houston Chronicle Tommye worked in many departments and served many years as the Secretary to the President of the Houston Chronicle. When the Hearst Corporation purchased the Chronicle in 1987 Tommye became the first woman to serve on the Hearst Corporation’s Board of Directors; she would serve on this Board until her retirement.
Tommye was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Belton F. Musgrove; her parents, John Isom and Lora Bell Hartt; sisters Lillie Mae Armour and Nancy McCarty; and brother James Hartt.
Tommye is survived by her niece Doris Reed; nephew Don McCarty and great-nephew Calvin Gilmore.
Visitation for Tommye will be held on Monday, August 6, 2018 from 1:00-2:00pm at Brookside Funeral Home located at 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX. A brief graveside service will be held immediately following visitation at 2:00pm in the family chapel at Brookside Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to Brazos Valley Hospice (502 W. 26th Street, Bryan, TX 77803.
www.hospicebrazosvalley.org) for the loving care they provided Tommye in her final days.
