Thomas Edmunds Marshall III

Thomas Edmunds Marshall III died in Raleigh, North Carolina on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 in the company of his immediate family. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia where he attended Richmond Professional Institute, now VCU. After receiving a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he began a thirty-two-year tenure on the faculty of Barton College, serving as chairman of the art department for eight years and head of the fine arts division for three. During this same period of time, he served on the executive board of the Wilson County Humane Society for twelve years and was the founder of the Wilson County Animal Rescue Service and creator of the “Animalance”. At fifty-five years of age he finally answered a loud and persistent call from God and enrolled in the M-Div. program at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. After graduation he served as the minister of Buffalo Presbyterian Church in Sanford, North Carolina from 1999 through 2005 after which he retired and was named Pastor Emeritus by the church session.

He was a professional artist and poet, as well as a musician far better than he would ever admit, teaching himself how to play the guitar, mandolin, banjo, and dulcimer.

Perhaps most importantly, he was a gentle, caring soul who held life as one would hold a butterfly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edmunds and Sarah Marshall, and granddaughter Sarah Catherine Tellefsen. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 56 years Elizabeth "Betty" Caudle Marshall, four children and their spouses; Catherine Marshall Tellefsen (Eric), Michael Thomas Marshall (Amy), Patrick Christopher Marshall (Denise), and Robert Kevin Marshall (Tasha); ten grandchildren; Elizabeth Tellefsen Borsma (Max), Thomas Marshall, Lucas Marshall, Tyler Marshall, Lars Tellefsen, Caroline Marshall, Claire Marshall, Chase Marshall, Preskitt Marshall, and Oaks Marshall; his two sisters; Lucy Marshall and Sally Marshall Darash (Craig); and fourteen nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wilson County Humane Society or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

A private service will be held in the Memorial Garden at First Presbyterian Church in Wilson, NC with a service at Christ Church in Raleigh including friends and colleagues to take place at a later date.