83 of Tempe, AZ died on October 27, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nina Jeanine Taylor, his daughters Kathy Cates (Dennis), Patty Foley (Mike), Stacey Kinkel (John) and Julie Ross (Tony); and the proud grandfather of Taylor, Trevor, & Torrey Cates, Tiffany Fraley (Brett), Austin Foley, Kyle Kinkel, and Paige Ross. Tom was born in Bisbee, Arizona. He was a paratrooper in the Army with the 82nd Airborne Division, and graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s in Crop Production and a master’s in Biological Sciences. He was the horticulturist at ASU’s farm, teaching about plants for many years. Later he was a carpenter at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. Tom loved hanging out with family, taking trips to visit them, and working on projects together. His constant love, friendliness and teasing will be missed. A memorial service will be held Saturday, 11:00 AM, November 3, 2012 at Grace Community Church, 1200 E. Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282. A visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Grace Community Church on Friday, November 2, 2012.
