William T T Tatum

TUSCALOOSA - William T. Tatum, Sr., age 87, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., passed away, December 18, 2017 at DCH Regional Medical Center. Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, December 21, 2017, at Sunset Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Kinard Cemetery with Sunset Funeral Home, a Dignity Memorial Provider, directing. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. tonight, December 20, 2017, at the funeral home.

He was preceded in death by his father Ben Tatum, who was killed in a mining accident when he was nine months old; mother and stepfather, Auberie and Ernest Hyde; and wife, Marylin Rowe Tatum.

Survivors include his daughter, Sandra Tatum; sons, William T. Tatum, Jr. and Ray Tatum (Yvonne); brothers, George Hyde and Jimmy Hyde; grandchildren, Brandie Hicks (Ethan), Rachel Wyatt (Josh), Erica Quimby (Craig), Tyler Strickland, Derek Wilburn (Wendy) and Tod Wilburn; great-grandchildren, Christian, Carson, Caleb, Nathan, Connor, Kayleigh, Auberie, Cameron, Kelsey, Andrew, Evan and Corbin.

He went to his Heavenly home to be reunited with his wife of 39 years. William was a graduate of West Blocton High School. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Army. He was an artillery instructor at Fort Bliss, Texas. After leaving the service, he married the love of his life, Marylin Rowe, of Brent, Alabama. While William was in the army, Marylin started writing letters to him when she saw his picture in the paper. They married on December 31, 1955.

They started their life in Holt, Alabama when William started working at B.F. Goodrich Tire Company. That is how he became known as “Goose”. He and Marylin raised three children in the house in Holt.

He retired from B.F Goodrich is 1992. He lost Marylin on December 13, 1994. He continued to live in Holt where he was loved by many and loved seeing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was a lifetime member of Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church in Vance. His last Sunday on this Earth, he had driven to Vance to be with his church family. He will be greatly missed by all that had the opportunity to have met him.

Pallbearers will be Corky Hyde, Nathan Nash, Tyler Strickland, Derek Wilburn, Tod Wilburn, Josh Wyatt, Ethan Hicks, Craig Quimby and Larry Englebert.

Honorary pallbearers are members of Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church, coffee buddies of USW 351L, Rod Ethridge, Dwight Hutson, Bobby McFall and friends of the Holt community.